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Department of Cognitive Science

The Dual-Route Model (DRC)

According to the dual route model of reading (see figure), there are two processing routes involved in reading. The non-lexical route (on the right) describes how children read using the letter-sound rules. The lexical route (on the left) describes how children read by recognizing whole words by sight.

DRC Model

When a child sees a series of letters (e.g., BOOT), they first have to know that the letters are letters and not a string of random visual symbols or numbers. Next, they have to identify what the letters are. So, they know that a B is a B and not a D or a P. At this stage, their processing of this letter string splits into two processing routes that are activated at the same time. The non-lexical reading route parses the letters into graphemes (i.e., B-OO-T), then translates each grapheme into its sound (“b” “oo” “t”) and then blends these sounds together into “boot” (pre-vocally). At the same time, the lexical route searches the written word lexicon (dictionary of know written words) to see if there is a match for BOOT. If there is then this is translated into the corresponding sound “boot” (pre-vocally). At this stage, both the non--lexical and lexical routes offer a “solution” for the written word BOOT. The winning solution (i.e., because it seems most accurate or is most rapidly produced) is planned into a vocalization that is then spoken out aloud.