Reading and the Brain
A User’s Guide
Grades 7-12
Developed by Ida Hatley, Judith Lerner, and Sara Buckerfield
Why am I here?Shouldn’t I already know how to read by now?How can I be smart and still have a hard time
with reading?Why is it twice as long as a regular English
class?Why does the teacher want me to read the same
words over and over?Why do some of the activities seem like they’re
for little kids?Why should I do it?
Has anyone with a big reading problem ever been a success?
You are not
alone.About one in every four students in
middle school and high
school has a difficult time reading and
understanding their books.
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Scientists have been working to understand why some students can’t read well.
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This is an fMRI machine.
Scientists use it to see how the brains of different people work when they are reading.
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The test
doesn’t hurt and
there are no
needles or side effects.
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This is an fMRI image of the brain of a good reader
reading words.
Arrows point to the red
parts of the brain that are working the
hardest.
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Because of the new
fMRI technology, scientists
have discovered
that the brains of
struggling readers and the brains of
strong readers work differently.
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These differences
DO NOT have
anything to do with
intelligenceor a hole or
defect in the
structure of the brain.
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The brains of good readers and struggling readers both look structurally normal.
The differences are in the way the brain communicates.
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Warning!The next slides are not of fMRI
images--instead they’re really
actual human
brains!
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These parts are working when a good reader is
reading:
word analysis
area
word form area
word analysis
area
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This part is doing most of the work when a struggling
reader is reading:
word analysis
area
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Furthermore, struggling
readers use different
circuits and pathways to
read.
The wrong part of the
brain tries to do the job of
reading.
So it takes the person much
longer to read!
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Struggling Readers ChecklistReading is hard
and rarely fun.Spelling is terrible.Handwriting might
be sloppy.Answering the
questions after you read is really difficult.
Reading out loud in class is your worse nightmare.What’s a student to do?
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PRACTICE READING!fMRI brain images show that the brain learns by practicing. It can
actually get “rewired”!
The same way you practice to:
learn a dance move
kick a soccer ball
play a musical instrument
shoot a basketball
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With the right intervention class and practice, your brain begins
working— all the right parts!
So roll up your sleeves and get to work!
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And Remember to Hug Your Teacher!
“Teachers can do what
neurosurgeons cannot by causing neural systems to become altered
and more effective by the correct application of
evidence-based intervention programs.”
--Sally Shaywitz, M.D
Spring, 2006
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What are the parts of the Language! reading
program?
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Phonemic Awareness
Recognition of sounds in words Manipulation of sounds in words Even in high school, phonemic
awareness must be present for a student to read well.
Watch Phonemic Awareness in Action:
www.teachlanguage.com/PA_drills/
Password: language
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Phonics
The link between the sound and the letter.
Failure to understand the link between sound and letter is the most robust predictor of reading failure.
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Decoding The ability to
sound out words Allows a person
to read any unfamiliar word, not only words that have been memorized.
Note: The brain can not hold in memory all of the words in English.
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Fluency Training Fluency is the
speed and accuracy in which you read.
To improve in fluency you have to practice….A LOT!Speed
Matters!
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More parts of LANGUAGE!
Spelling Vocabulary Grammar Reading
Comprehension Speaking Writing
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That’s a lot of
activities...that’s why Language! takes up so
much of your school time every
day.
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There are lots of famous and successful people
who have struggled with reading.
You might have heard of some of them...
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Albert Einstein: Regarded as the most important scientist of the 20th
century
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Thomas Edison:
American inventor
and businessm
an
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Nelson Rockefeller: Businessman, Governor of New York
and Vice-President of the United States
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Pablo Picass
o: Artist
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Edward
James Olmos
:
Actor
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Magic Johnson
:
Basketball
superstar
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Carl Lewis: Track and field
athlete
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John Lennon:
Singer for The Beatles
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Whoopi Goldberg: Actress and comedian
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Jewel: Singer and poet
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Tom Cruise: Film actor and producer
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Jay Leno: Comedian
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Dav Pilkey:
Childre
n’s book
author
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You WILL learn to be
a better reader!
You can get there—it just takes
longer.
Language! will help.
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References
Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. New York: Random House.
Wolfe, P. & Nevills, P. (2004). Building the reading brain, preK-3. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.
Greene, J.F. (2005) LANGUAGE! The Comprehensive Literacy Curriculum. Longmont, Colorado: Sopris West.