Running head: READING

Reading and the Brain Jeannie Denny EDU 417 Cognitive Studies Capstone Instructor: Colleen Lindecker May 1, 2014

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Reading and the Brain The process of deciphering written language known as reading is quite a leap in human evolution, because it is not only the product of intellectual development, but also a catalyst for it. Over the centuries, the decoding of written symbols has changed drastically and over the past few decades there has been an increase in the understanding of how the human brain performs the complex function. Through studies of brain injury and advances in technology that have allowed a much closer look at cognitive and neural activity, there is increased awareness of the complicated, brain-process of reading, difficulties in performing the process, and interventions that can help a child with reading deficits. The Brain There are three dominant regions of reading function in the brain (Fischer & ImmordinoYang, 2008). The first region is located in the frontal lobe and is named after French neurologist, Paul Broca who discovered the importance of this area of the brain for speech, while studying patients who had sustained injury to this area and had specific speech impairment as a result (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). It has been found that Brocas region of the brain activates not only with spoken words, but also with reading silently (Fischer & ImmordinoYang, 2008). The next region involved in the process of reading in the brain is located in the mid section and is called Wernickes area (named for German neurologist Carl Wernicke who studied patients who had verbal ability although they had no comprehension of language) (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). Wernickes area is located in the left hemisphere, along the planum temporale, and is linked to letter and word recognition (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). Working along with Wernickes area, associating words visually and verbally, is the

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angular gyros which is located in the parietal lobe (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). The third important area concerning reading is the visual word form area, which is located at the base of the left temporal lobe, and stores information for word recognition, spelling, sound, and meaning (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). A rough mapping of how written words are decoded by the brain as reading occurs, begins with obtaining sensory data (visually for most and through tactile means for a blind person reading Braille)( Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). This information is relayed by the thalamus, which then sends the data on to the visual cortex, located in the occipital lobes, where letter and word recognition begin (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). From this point, the angular gyrus decodes the letters and words into sounds, or more precisely, phonemes (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). The next stop is Wernickes area, where word comprehension is processed and sent on to Brocas area where syntactic data is acquired (Fischer & ImmordinoYang, 2008). Research obtained from studying brain injury and more recently, brain imaging has provided much insight into the intricate process of reading and the areas of the brain involved in that process. These findings have been instrumental in identifying problems with language decoding and comprehension. Reading Problems The complexity of reading is (forgive the pun) mind-boggling, which explains why it is a difficult skill to perfect. With so many subsets of function being performed to identify each letter, sound, and word, while also performing the dual task of deciphering meaning, it is understandable that many children struggle in one or more areas of reading. Some children have

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difficulties with visual or auditory processing; however, very often it is a deficit in over-all language processing (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). A malfunction during the multitasking of decoding and comprehension can lead to great difficulty in reading. Memory is an essential component to comprehension, as a reader must be able to retain each individual peice of information that is being deciphered, so that all of the pieces of the puzzle can be fit together to acquire meaning. This can be a daunting process for children who may have difficulty filtering sensory stimuli (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). Young children with short attention spans and older children with attention deficits may find it very difficult to retain information that they are reading long enough to comprehend it (Fischer & Immordino-Yang, 2008). Children with deficits in reading comprehension can be at risk of being over-looked since in some cases, they are good at decoding and seem, on the surface, to be fluent readers (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). Reading Support The more information that is obtained about brain function connected with reading, the more capable teachers and parents will be of finding ways to support children with reading difficulties. As struggles with decoding can lead to difficulty with comprehension, one of the first steps in helping students understand what they read, is to provide a good foundation for reading that involves both phonological training and letter-sound knowledge (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). Generally, the more fluently a child can read the easier it will be to retain the memory needed for comprehension (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). For children who are already struggling in the area of comprehension, some strategies that have been researched, have brought about favorable results for improvements. One of the

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methods is quite simply, directed practice (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). Students who had individual reading sessions with skilled teachers who could reinforce effective reading strategies and provide oral phonological support, a couple of times a week showed marked improvement in reading comprehension impairment (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). Reading specialists, teachers, or parents can support improvement in comprehension through one on one reading time where skills are introduced and practiced, like using visual imagery, illustration clues, and making inferences to enhance the text information (Snowling & Hulme, 2012). Attention therapy is another intervention that can support readers struggling with comprehension. Computer-based attention therapy programs involving visual activities that emphasize aspects of arousal, activation, and vigilance have been shown in studies to be beneficial to comprehension ability (Solan, Shelley-Tremblay, Ficarra, Silverman, & Larson, 2003). Sustained attention is an element in performing visual tasks such as reading, so by improving attention, greater focus can be attained for enhancing understanding (Solan, ShelleyTremblay, Ficarra, Silverman, & Larson, 2003). In Conclusion Through research on brain function, much has been learned about how the skill of reading is obtained and performed. Knowing how reading occurs in the brain has provided insights on some of the deficits in reading that children struggle with, as well as, some methods for helping to conquer those challenges. Research in neuroscience is of such great importance because the more that can be learned about the brain, the better the brain can be utilized to learn.

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References Fischer, K. W., Immordino-Yang, M.H., &, (2008). The jossey-bass reader on the brain and learning. (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Snowling, M. J., & Hulme, C. (2012). Interventions for children's language and literacy difficulties. International Journal Of Language & Communication Disorders, 47(1), 27-34. doi:10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00081.x Solan, H., Shelley-Tremblay, J., Ficarra, A., Silverman, M., & Larson, S. (2003). Effect of attention therapy on reading comprehension.Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 36(6), 556563.