Running Head: BRAIN READING

How the Brain Learns to Read

Whitney Rasor
EDU 417: Cognitive Studies Capstone
Dr. Joanna Savarese
February 8, 2016

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How the Brain Learns to Read

When it comes to learning all children are going to learn at a different rate than others.
Reading is an important part of the learning process by being able to continue on in learning.
The brains structures and functions play a big role in how a person is going to learn to read.
There is a lot that goes into learning how to read and the different sections of the brain which
work together to gain the knowledge from reading. The brain structures and neural pathways
which are involved in reading are all important for the brain to learn to read.
When looking at the brain there are two sides which are called hemispheres. Each side of
the brain is used for different functions. The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for
language and speech (Jossey-Bass Reader, 2008). The left hemisphere is divided into three
sections which are connected, the frontal lobes, parietotemporal cortex, and temporal lobes
(Jossey-Bass Reader, 2008). The three different sections are all responsible for a different
function.
When looking at the brain the first part is the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe occupies the
largest part of the cortex and performs the most complex functions. The frontal lobe gives a
person the ability to move the body at will, think about the past, plan for the future, focus
attention, reflect, make decisions, solve problems, and engage in conversations (Wolfe, 2010).
The next section of the brain is the parietal lobe. The parietal lobe has two major subdivisions,
anterior and posterior which both play different roles. The anterior part of the parietal lobe
receives information about sensations and positions of the limbs (Wolfe, 2010). The posterior
part of the parietal lobe continuously analyzes and integrates the information to give a person a
sense of spatial awareness (Wolfe, 2010).

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The temporal lobe is the section of the brain which processes auditory stimuli. The
temporal lobe is composed of several different subdivisions that cope with hearing, language,
and some aspects of memory, especially auditory memory (Wolfe, 2010). When looking at the
three different sections of the brain which functions are related to language and reading, they all
also have different names. The frontal region is called Brocas area, which was named after Paul
Broca who was a French neurologist. The middle region includes Wernickes area and the
angular gyrus, which was named after neurologist Carl Wernicke. Under Brocas area it is in the
frontal lobe that speech is dependent on (Jossey-Base Reader, 2008). In Wernickes area the area
which effects speech is along the planum temporale. In the temporal lobe it controls the spelling,
sound, and meaning of the words which are stored (Jossey-Base Reader, 2008).
When a child is learning to read there is not one section of the brain which is going to do
all the work. Reading is a composition of many different functions. Reading encompasses
learning letters, letter sounds, speech, forming words, storing, and retrieving the words. There is
not one section of the brain which is responsible for all which encompasses reading. Reading
starts as a visual stimulation of the visual areas of the brain and it works its way to the left
hemisphere of the brain (Dehaene, 2013).
There are a number of children who have a hard time learning to read. There are a
number of different factors to why a child might have trouble reading. Some of the issues a child
might face when reading are visual processing, auditory processing, problems in language and
reading pathways, and attention and memory systems. When a child has trouble reading it can
affect their learning in other areas as well.
One of the problems children can face when reading is auditory processing. Auditory
processing can occur anywhere along the auditory pathway. These can be hearing impairments

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or even deafness (Jossey-Bass Reader, 2008). One thing which can lead to auditory processing
problems is if the child has chronic ear infections. Ear infections can lead to hearing loss and it
can pose problems with language development and reading. Some children when reading may
not be able to process the sounds of the letters and words fast enough. The children have trouble
identifying the sounds and associating them to the words (Jossey-Bass Reader, 2008).
Many of the children who have auditory processing problems have trouble distinguishing
between the subtle differences in words. The children often confuse one letter for another or one
sound for another. Another problem children might face is paying attention and remembering
information which is given orally. The children will have trouble processing multistep
directions. When the children have trouble with identifying the sounds of words and letters it
then can affect their comprehension, spelling, and the amount of vocabulary they have.
Children in the classroom need to be given as many opportunities for learning. The
children need to feel like their learning is being supported and they also need to have their own
sense of learning too. Teachers in the rooms can provide materials for all the levels of learning.
The teachers can also provide outside opportunities for the children to gain help if they are
having trouble with reading. The parents can also be involved in helping the children learn to
read by practicing new words at home as well as reading with and to the children. The teacher
can send books which are level appropriate home with the children to read on a nightly basis.

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References

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.
Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice. (2nd ed.).
Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.