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Running Head: BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

How the Brain Learns to Read

Maria Cortes
EDU 417
Instructor Joanna Savarese Levine
1/9/17

BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

How the Brain Learns to Read

Reading is the most crucial capability a child can procure in their education; it is this skill
that allows the child to take the letters in every day illustrations and creating connections to said
visual stimulation. It is through letter recognition and sound that the child can link thus reading.
In their first few years of education, children learning to read alphabetic scripts must learn the
letter-sound correspondences of their native writing system and how to break words down into
their constituent letters and sound them out (Taylor, Rastle, & Davis, 2014). In this paper the
structures of the brain that are activated during reading will be discussed as well as an
explanation of why children have difficulty in reading.
During reading the brain activates through neurological connections. It begins in the
occipital pole which enters the brain through visual stimulation. From there it enters the left
hemisphere of the brain which is responsible for language and reading. The brain then activates
the already known letter or letter sounds in order to read the written word.
Dehaene, S. explains in the video how the brain activates during reading and the step by
step process.
Reading starts as any other visual stimulation in these general visual areas of the
occipital pole of the brain but then very quickly moves into an area that we have
discovered which concentrates the recognition of the region word I have called it
the brains letter box because it is where we store our knowledge of letters and
from there what you have seen is explosion of activity into at least two networks

BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

one that concerns the meaning of the words and another that concerns the
pronunciation and the articulation of the word (2013).
The studies show the brain is activated during reading through stimulation by the written
word. Using the process of listening to letter sounds and later recognizing said sounds will allow
a child to eventually read. There is a high similarity in cortical areas recruited for reading
comprehension processes at the word, sentence, and discourse level (Buchweitz, Mason,
Tomitch, & Just, 2009). As Dehaene mentions it begins in the occipital lobe then proceeds to the
letter box then activates the angular gyrus of the brain that lead to higher level dissection of the
written word thus creating neural transmission to the Wernickes area that allow the child to
comprehend the word then the syntax is then processed in the Brocas Area and finally the child
is reading. This skill is what enables generalization the ability to read unfamiliar words
(Taylor, Rastle, & Davis, 2014).
One reason children may fail to read would be a Visual Processing problem which consist
of a sensory deficit in visual processing. It can be caused by the lack of eye health, limited visual
acuity, and or sparse eye movement. Per Jossey-Bass, dyslexia also show signs of subtle deficits
in the visual motions detection area thus causing them to have a deficiency in reading. Through
Research it explains that dyslexic persons have no activity in brain regions V5/MT which is very
active in phonological processing thus causing a lack in processing written words (Fischer,
Immordino-Yang, 2008).
A child can be supported in the classroom firstly by creating a good, trusting, and
nurturing classroom. Children with a visual processing problem may have some reservations due
to their problem they may feel subpar. Which is why it so important to provide a good learning
environment for them. They need to have structure, have the appropriate accommodations to help

BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

them progress despite their problem. They need to feel that although they may be different they
are still smart, able, and can progress. Students with dyslexia need this explicit learning
environment where the teacher uses all senses and illustrates, demonstrates and discusses the
dyslexic students needs. Students with dyslexia need an explicit and structural teaching
(Grnblad, 2013). Secondly, having parent involvement. A child needs support both at school
and at home. This disorder is never out grown through support the child can overcome many
obstacles. Both teacher and parent unity is necessary for this to transpire. The parents also need
to be involved in the learning process and when it comes to homework, Peer and Reid assert that
homework in writing need to be discussed between the teacher and the parents of a child
(Grnblad, 2013). Lastly, a speech synthesis is also very necessary with a visual processing
problem. It allows the computer to dictate to the child so that it is easier to comprehend. Speech
synthesis is a common learning aid to use for students with dyslexia. It is a computer program
that reads the text on the computer, making the connection between grapheme and phoneme
easier for the students with dyslexia (Grnblad, 2013).
In conclusion, reading being such an important milestone it is also one that is also
difficult if the child does not have the necessary skills to do so. Whether it is a processing
disorder or just the lack of exposure in language. As a teacher the necessary accommodation
need to be provided to aid the child in his or her development. In this paper the structures of the
brain that are activated during reading were discussed as well as an explanation was provided as
to why children have difficulty in reading.

BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

Reference

Buchweitz, A., Mason, R. A., Tomitch, L. B., & Just, M. A. (2009). Brain activation for reading
and listening comprehension: An fMRI study of modality effects and individual
differences in language comprehension. Psychology & Neuroscience, 2(2), 111-123.
doi:10.3922/j.psns.2009.2.003
Dehaene, S. [WISEQatar]. (2013, October 25). How the brain learns to read [Video File].
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25GI3-kiLdo
Fischer , K. W., Immordino-Yang, M. H., & , (2008). The Jossey-Bass reader on the brain and
learning. (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Grnblad, J. (2013). English teachers perceptions of teaching reading and reading strategies to
students with dyslexia.
Taylor, J. H., Rastle, K., & Davis, M. H. (2014). Distinct Neural Specializations for Learning to
Read Words and Name Objects. Journal Of Cognitive Neuroscience, 26(9), 2128-2154.
doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00614