Neurocircuitry of Reading - The "fancy, scientific" explanation of reading

English is read from left to right. The visual input (letters and words) are projected onto the primary visual cortex of the right parietal lobe. The information travels through the corpus callosum to the left temporal lobe for phonemic decoding to understand the grapheme(letters)/phoneme(sounds) components. Auditory cues are used to decipher language by way of the angular gyrus to the supramarginal gyrus and eventually to the insular cortex. It is the insular cortex that speeds up the process to make this grapheme/phoneme analysis and synthesis instantaneous. This leads to immediate word recognition, travelling next to segments of Broca's area by the articulate fasciculus (white matter) acting as a bridge. Broca's area completes the articulatory loop and the word is read aloud or silently. Wernicke's area helps the comprehension of the word.

If this sounds complicated, that's because it is!! Everything our brain does is intricate and pretty amazing!!

In addition, the brain functions of attention, executive control and memory also impact our ability to read. It certainly makes us aware of how amazing our brains are!!

Learning to read follows a developmental pattern. Pre-kindergarten to about grade 2 is a skill emergence phase. The student is developing basic linguistic and decoding skills. Phonemic awareness is an essential component. Human beings are naturally drawn to rhymthmic patterns and this is the beginning of our phonological ability.

During grades 3 and 4, students are consolidating their skills, with further acquisition of the phonological code.

Grades 4 and 5 can al ost be seen as a transition. Most students should have the phonological code embedded and they now work on speed and efficiency with an emphasis on comprehension and reciprocal written language capabilities. (By the way, written language is the most difficult cognitive task we impose upon our brains).

Grades 6 through 8 continue to establish and enhance skills, with higher level integration.

By high school, mastery over the skills should occur and the student is increasing his or her complex abstraction and concept formation abilities.

For middle school students, teaching enhances their reading by the following classroom techniques:

Teachers use "already learned" information to introduce text and integrate into a framework of understanding.

Unfamiliar concepts and vocabulary are clarified in order to promote interest, motivation and task engagement.

Students "brainstorm" ideas into categories, webs, outlines or clusters. Teachers may use guided reading to integrate information and probe text beyond literal meaning.

Multiple points of view are encouraged.

Students can revise preliminary questions, gather information, organize their thoughts, analyze and synthesize evidence in order to make generalizations or associations leading to newunderstanding.

Encourage students to articulate their own understanding of the text.

Teachers make it interesting through alternative ideas or even arguing against an idea.

Teachers engage students in pre-guided or post-reading activities that strengthen understanding.

Provide vocabulary and study skills.