Handbook of Arabic Literacy: Insights and Perspectives [Paperback]

This book provides a synopsis of recently published empirical research into the acquisition of reading and writing in Arabic. Its particular focus is on the interplay between the linguistic and orthographic structure of Arabic and the development of reading and writing/spelling. In addition, the book addresses the socio-cultural, political and educational milieu in which Arabic literacy is embedded. It enables readers to appreciate both the implications of empirical research to literacy enhancement and the challenges and limitations to the applicability of such insights in the Arabic language and literacy context. The book will advance the understanding of the full context of literacy acquisition in Arabic with the very many factors (religious, historical, linguistic etc.) that interact and will hence contribute to weakening the anglocentricity that dominates discussions of this topic.

Preface.- Foreword.- Introduction.- PART ONE: THE ARABIC LANGUAGE. Chapter 1: The Structure of Arabic Language and Orthography.- PART TWO: ARABIC LEXICAL REPRESENTATION AND PROCESSING. Chapter 2: Is the Arabic Mental Lexicon Morpheme-based or Stem-based? Implications for Spoken and Written Word Recognition.- Chapter 3: Word Recognition in Arabic: Approaching a Language-Specific Reading Model.- Chapter 4: Why is it Hard to Read Arabic?.- PART THREE: ARABIC READING AND SPELLING DEVELOPMENT AND DISORDERS. Chapter 5: An Epidemiological Survey of Specific Reading and Spelling Disorders in Arabic Speaking Children in Egypt.- Chapter 6: Types of Developmental Dyslexia in Arabic.- Chapter 7: Narrative Development in Arabic: Story Re-telling.- Chapter 8: Cognitive Predictors of Early Reading Ability in Arabic: A Longitudinal Study from Kindergarten to Grade 2.- PART FOUR: ARABIC DIGLOSSIA, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY. Chapter 9: The Effect of Diglossia on Literacy in Arabic and Other Languages.- Chl“