fight like hell for the living

in cognitive science, there are a lot of different ways to think about reading. but the various models for the most part hinge on two specific processes: word recognition and comprehension. word recognition means the way people recognize and break down words, and comprehension means how people understand the words they read. some of the dominant literacy models in cognitive science include

The Simple View of Reading (Gough and Tumner 1986)

Scarborough's Rope (Scarborough 2001)

The Active View of Reading (Duke and Cartwright 2021)

all of these involve some combination/exploration of recognition and comprehension.

unfortunately! in the US starting the 90s, phonics instruction was increasingly abandoned in favor of the three-cueing method. basically, instead of learning how to break down the sound chunks (phonemes) that make up words, kids were encouraged to learn to read by looking at the pictures or guessing via context clues. so the word recognition aspect of reading took a big hit. many kids grew up with functional learning disabilities because of that style of instruction alone.

reading comprehension is also really, really culturally dependent. the way you understand (or whether you can understand) what you're reading relies on the body of background knowledge you have access to, which in turn depends on your socioeconomic position. there's also the matter of what kinds of knowledge and analysis are valued/prioritized by society. critical thinking is a key part of comprehension, and schools are actively invested in not facilitating that skill because their overall objective is to produce a compliant labor force that will ensure the reproduction of capitalism. critical thinking is emphasized in imperial core education only to the extent that it's absolutely necessary: for developing decision-making capacity for postindustrial knowledge workers, managerial types, politicians, lawyers, doctors, and so on.

so. basically. both recognition and comprehension are core to literacy development, and they've both been fucked with heavily in the US (and a lot of other countries). breaking the literacy crisis down this way also helps with figuring out how to fix it. teaching more kids phonics will help them decode words more effectively, but it won't help them comprehend new material. and when we talk about the "media literacy crisis" we're mostly talking about a comprehension problem, which can't be fixed just by having people read more. each issue needs targeted intervention.

so! recommended reading list:

my full essay on the literacy crisis, of course. there's more analysis of structural interventions that would actually work to address children's literacy issues.

the podcast Sold a Story by APM Reports. it has a lot of good information about the shift from phonics to three-cueing. the narrative is a little oversimplified and they weirdly keep praising the bush administration while ignoring how it contributed to the problem, but i still recommend the podcast for understanding the basic facts of the situation

Schooling in Capitalist America (1968) by Bowles and Gintis on how the US school system developed to meet the needs of the capitalist economy

how to troubleshoot by yourself when you have a technical problem

what common file types are

some very basics on how to use ""developer tools"" on your computer (because i cant think of a better way to refer to them) like task manager and command prompt (and their mac equivalents, terminal and activity monitor ofc)

how to read and understand a privacy policy and what your personal data is, as well as what it being collected actually means and steps you can take to keep it private

how to understand terms of service (hey. if you have trouble with reading legalese and worry about being able to understand these policies anyways, here's a site that gives basic summaries of privacy policies and ToS)

what a cookie actually is

internet privacy and your digital footprint!! seriously i dont know why we stopped teaching people that they shouldnt be putting their entire real identity online in a world where your online actions can ruin you irl

basic safety measures like antivirus software (and why you should use it or if the built in one on windows or mac is enough for you) and backing up your computer (also a mac guide)

common keyboard shortcuts (and on mac)

as an additional note: things i think everyone should know on computers and the internet but schools may bit hesitant to teach about for whatever moral/legal standards schools pretend to operate on

vpns and adblockers! (btw for most of these where you can pay for things im purposefully not recommending any specific software but seriously just use ublock origin for an adblocker)

how to not get a virus while pirating something

what a temporary email is and when to use one

red flags that you shouldn't trust a website (and how to quickly check the security of a site)

an online compiler so you dont need to download anything or worry about running code directly on your computer if that makes you nervous

a basic video guide to introduce you to python and walk you through beginner steps

a guide to some syntax and commands you should know (this was literally my lifeline in my first CS class)

It has some great articles and resources and while written by people with ME/CFS, it keeps all disabilities in mind. A lot of it is specific to the USA but even if you're from somewhere else, there are many guides that can still help you. Some really good ones are:

How to live a great disabled life- A guide full of resources to make your life easier and probably the best place to start (including links to some of the below resources). Everything from applying for good quality affordable housing to getting free transportation, affordable medication, how to get enough food stamps, how to get a free phone that doesn't suck, how to find housemates and caregivers, how to be homebound, support groups and Facebook pages (including for specific illnesses), how to help with social change from home, and so many more.

Turning a "no" into a "yes"- A guide on what to say when denied for disability aid/accommodations of many types, particularly over the phone. "Never take no for an answer over the phone. If you have not been turned down in writing, you have not been turned down. Period."

How to be poor in America- A very expansive and helpful guide including things from a directory to find your nearest food bank to resources for getting free home modifications, how to get cheap or free eye and dental care, extremely cheap internet, and financial assistance with vet bills

How to be homebound- This is pretty helpful even if you're not homebound. It includes guides on how to save spoons, getting free and low cost transportation, disability resources in your area, home meals, how to have fun/keep busy while in bed, and a severe bedbound activity master list which includes a link to an audio version of the list on Soundcloud

Master List of Disability Accommodation Letters For Housing- Guides on how to request accommodations and housing as well as your rights, laws, and prewritten sample letters to help you get whatever you need. Includes information on how to request additional bedrooms, stop evictions, request meetings via phone, mail, and email if you can't in person, what you can do if a request is denied, and many other helpful guides

Special Laws to Help Domestic Violence Survivors (Vouchers & Low Income Housing)- Protections, laws, and housing rights for survivors of DV (any gender), and how to get support and protection under the VAWA laws to help you and/or loved ones receive housing and assistance

Dealing With Debt & Disability- Information to assist with debt including student loans, medical debt, how to deal with debt collectors as well as an article with a step by step guide that helped the author cut her overwhelming medical bills by 80%!

There are so many more articles, guides, and tools here that have helped a lot of people. And there are a lot of rights, resources, and protections that people don't know they have and guides that can help you manage your life as a disabled person regardless of income, energy levels, and other factors.