Running Head: LEARNS TO READ

How the Brain Learns to Read

Cynthia Tomei
EDU417: Cognitive Studies Capstone
Joanna Savarese-Levine, PhD.
April 26, 2015

HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

How the Brain Learns to Read

Learning to read involves various areas of the brain working together as a fine-tuned
machine to allow students the ability to translate written letters and words into language which
has meaning. This being said, writing is critical to reading since it is the written word which is
read. Additionally, the language being read can have different affects on areas of the brain being
used based on the complexity of the language itself. Stanislas Dehaene states that reading is
essentially the act of being the interface between the written word and the spoken language
(2013). In order to accomplish reading and the interface, there are three regions of the brain's
reading system, the frontal lobes, the parietotemporal cortex, and the temporal lobes (Fischer &
Immordino-Yang, 2008). All regions must work together, the individual must be free from
atypical challenges, and the environment which the student is exposed must be accommodating
to provide a successful reading experience.
The first step in reading is to see the written word and that is done with the occipital
region of the brain (Dehaene, 2013) in order to see the written symbols called letters which are
strung together to form words. The vision of the written words is sent to the thalamus which in
turn sends the information to the visual cortex for the next step, which is the review and possible
recognition of the words or the pattern of the words (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). Jensen
states that the occipital lobe is responsible for the essence of reading, that the connection
between visual and auditory is high and critical to reading (2008).
From the recognition of the word composition comes the angular gyrus's role in the brain,
which is located where the occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes meet (Fischer & ImmordinoYang, 2008). Here the angular gyrus bridges the information from the visual recognition to
translating the word composition into the sounds of the words, or the phonemes, which gives

HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

sound to the written word making spoken language possible. This is where words are broken
down into sounds which create the words. Dehaene states that this is how reading really works
fundamentally, that whole-word reading is a fallacy and that the human brain really breaks words
down into segments (2013). Wernicke's area is along the planum temporale and is largely
responsible for storing the memory of the sounds and works in conjunction with the angular
gyrus to store words and allow for future recall (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008).
If reading silently, then Broca's area in the frontal region is used to give the word proper
syntax and is also used when reading aloud. The next step is differentiated by whether or not the
reading is being done aloud or in silence. When reading aloud, the motor cortex is also in use for
proper pronunciation to speak the word properly.
The brain's pathways are essentially circuits that need activity to remain well-oiled. For
children to read well, practice really does make perfect and helps the brain's neural pathways to
strengthen and improve reading skills (D'Arcangelo, 1999). Additionally, it must be said that
although the above structures and pathways are mentioned as having specific tasks, all functions
are truly interconnected and share the responsibility of successfully completing the tasks
necessary to read with meaning. Ultimately, defining exact functions of the brain and its neural
pathways as they relate to reading can be a bit challenging (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008).
There are times when not everything flows in a typical manner and the individual faces
challenges reading. When a student has problems with their auditory system they may also have
problems reading. Since reading is very driven by the ability to "sound out" words seen in
writing, having problems with hearing can equate to problems reading because they cannot hear
the words being sounded out (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). A study was done to test
individuals with auditory processing disorders and the results defined that approximately half of

HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

the individuals studied had both reading and language impairments as a result of their auditory
processing challenges, an even higher percentage had just reading challenges (Sharma, Purdy, &
Kelly, 2009). This shows that hearing clearly and having the ability to differentiate between
sounds distinctly does contribute to the ability to read with success.
The above data prove that students can be taught using this brain-based knowledge to be
supported in their learning to read. For one thing, when individuals have challenges reading and
they are putting forth effort, understanding that the challenge may be brain-based and getting an
evaluation is critical in then being able to address the issue (D'Arcangelo, 1999). For students
with challenges that require modification in the manner in which they approach learning, each
student will need to be addressed individually in an IEP with input from the parents and
professionals working with the student. Some modifications which might be necessary include
working at a slower pace with more repetition or learning smaller chunks of a lesson at a time
rather than trying to tackle large portions of learning at a time. For the blind individual, reading
becomes a completely different process in learning Braille without the benefit of the ability to
hear the phonemes that make up the words. Students with visual hindrances may need more time
with auditory learning to better understand sounds and letters in order to better grasp the visual
components of the words which they then read. The bottom line for students with any type of
disability is to customize their education plan to best accommodate their individual needs to offer
them the best opportunity to learn to read.
However, for the typical individual without challenges, teaching in bits and helping them
to see and hear the phonemes of a word are a necessary foundation to being able to read (Fischer
& Immordino-Yang, 2008) (Dehaene, 2013) in order to see, hear, and understand the full word
made up of these phonemes. Providing tools that can help make reading fun, such as

HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS TO READ

Graphogame and FastForward can help students to learn at their own pace while providing the
necessary foundation. As with any other type of learning, using topics that are appealing to the
students for the books being read will help. Having a more advanced reader available at home
and at school to assist as needed with any questions the learner may have will encourage and
support the learner. Even steps as simple as ensuring a nutritious diet and plenty of rest will
contribute to the brain's ability to focus and retain information when learning to read.
Reading is a cornerstone for human existence. From reading an exit sign in case of
emergency to reading the instructions on a new toy or appliance to operate successfully, from
reading the ingredients on a food product to avoid allergic reactions to what dosage to take of
any medication, reading is a necessary skill to thrive in life. Understanding how the brain works
to process reading and learning to read helps educators, parents, and medical professionals to
teach children to learn and how to work around the process when a disorder exists. The more
science can educate the world, the better the learning process is understood, the better students
can be taught to read and helped to overcome challenges. When the scientific process can work
together with the environment, learning to read will be a great thing.

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6
References

D'Arcangelo, M. (1999). Learning About Learning to Read. Educational Leadership, 57(2), 26.
Dehaene, S. (2013, October 25). How the brain learns to read. Wise Channel. retrieved from
https://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.
Jensen, E. (2008). Brain based learning, the new paradigm of teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Sharma, M., Purdy, S. C., & Kelly, A. S. (2009). Comorbidity of auditory processing,
language, and reading disorders. Journal Of Speech, Language & Hearing Research,
52(3), 706-722.