I never considered myself a strong reader. Like many of my students, I struggled with automatic word recognition and reversed my bs and ds past the point of typical development.
When I started my career working with struggling students it became clear that, to be the best teacher to my students, I first needed to become the student myself.
The first year I worked in a learning center I took advantage of the interventions we offered students and completed programs myself. I did daily eye exercises to strengthen my eye teaming (my left eye was weaker than my right eye). I systematically re-learned phonemes (the sounds of our language) and graphemes (the letters that correspond with the sounds). I practiced visualizing to strengthen my comprehension.
Over time, reading became easier and more enjoyable. Reading does not deplete my energy like it used to, and no longer causes headaches. I even began reading for pleasure again, something I had not done since elementary school.
That was 10 years ago. Now, reading comes easy. When I am particularly anxious or tired, I experience some of the visual processing issues that were once debilitating, but now I have the tools to overcome them. I love to read and maintain a daily reading habit. I am a better educational therapist because I experienced and overcame reading difficulties myself.
For some, learning to read comes as easy. Through modeling and traditional classroom methods, they can become skilled readers. However, for others, learning to read does not come naturally. Weaknesses in foundational skills do not allow the neural pathways needed for fluent reading to develop. Traditional classroom teaching methods do not stick in the same way they do for other students.
This is not a reflection of intelligence. Just like some people are tall and others are short, some people learn to read easily while others have to work harder. Genetics, socio-economic status, and early development all play a role in an individual’s ease of learning to read.
The good news is that, with the right methods, all individuals can improve their reading capabilities. Your brain has the incredible ability to grow and reshape throughout your lifetime through neuroplasticity. In this blog, I’ll discuss how our brains learn to read, the skills needed for successful reading, and science-backed techniques for improving reading.
Understanding the Reading Brain
Reading is not an innate human skill. Humans are not naturally wired for reading, we must build new neural connections to develop reading skills.
Our brains are divided into two hemispheres. For most individuals* the areas of the brain responsible for speech, language, and reading are located in the left hemisphere of the brain.
There are three key areas of the brain involved in skilled reading.
*Each person’s brain is unique. It is estimated that 90% of right-handed individuals process language in the left hemisphere of the brain; 50% of left-handed individuals process language in the left hemisphere of the brain.
Broca’s area, located in the frontal lobe, is responsible for organization, production, and manipulation of language.
The parieto-temporal area appears to be involved in word analysis. This region is critical in the process of corresponding letters to their sounds.
The occipito-temporal area connects the visual information to higher level language areas. It is needed for rapid, automatic word recognition.
Skilled readers are not only well developed in each individual area of the brain, but have strong connections among the regions allowing reading to happen fluently and automatically.
Beginning readers typically learn to read by first recognizing each letter as a distinct symbol, then learning to associate letters with sounds. With practice, they begin to automatically recognize letter patterns, and finally, develop fluent reading pathways. Only once these skills are strongly established, can an individual free the cognitive space to comprehend the information.
Think back to what it was like learning to drive. The first time behind the wheel you had to think a lot about which pedal was the gas and how to maneuver the vehicle, but after consistent, repeated practice driving became easier. The continuous effort became automatic. Now you can drive without too much cognitive effort.
This happens with reading as well. In the beginning, it is slow and effortful, but eventually, strong pathways are built and the neurological process of reading becomes second nature. Once automaticity is achieved, students can unlock comprehension and understanding. They can get lost in the text and develop a love of reading.
So what about the students who struggle?
When we look at the brain scans of skilled readers compared to the scans of those identified as having dyslexia there are several functional and structural differences in the brain.
The brain is composed of grey matter and white matter. Grey matter is made of nerve cells and is responsible for processing information. White matter is made of the connective fibers between nerve cells and facilitates communication between nerves.
In the brains of struggling readers, there is less white matter indicating a lack of neurological connection between different parts of the brain. On the surface, this may look like inconsistent reading performance, disfluency, and lack of effort.
For skilled readers, the brain shows activity in all three areas described above with the most activity in the parieto-temporal region. In the brains of struggling readers, there is only activity in Broca’s area. This indicates that students are stuck in the “sounding out” part of their brain; every time they reach a word on the page it is like the brain is seeing it for the first time.
Remember, the brain is not fixed. Intensive, targeted interventions change the structure of the brain and develop white and grey matter. At any age, struggling readers can improve their skills.
Other factors contributing to reading challenges
Reading is a complex task. Besides decoding and comprehending the words on the page, students need to attend to the task, filter out distractions, remember the information they previously read, connect what they read to what they already know, and more.
When a student is evaluated for dyslexia or a possible reading challenge, consider how the following may impact their reading ability:
Socio-economic factors including parental education level, family income, access to books at home, quality of early childhood education, access to learning resources, and parental involvement all contribute to a child’s early reading abilities.
Processing speed refers to the rate at which an individual can perceive and comprehend information. Slow processing speed can impede comprehension and lead to disfluency.
Working memory challenges impact reading by making it difficult to hold and manipulate information from a text, learning to struggle with decoding words, understanding complex sentences, and remembering key details, which ultimately limits comprehension.
Auditory processing disorder makes it difficult for an individual to decode words, affecting phonemic awareness, and hindering reading fluency.
Visual processing disorder causes difficulty distinguishing between similar letters or words, letter reversals, poor visual tracking across the page, and leads to slow, frustrated readers.
A comprehensive evaluation with an education professional can help determine the underlying cause of a reading challenge. No matter the underlying weakness, the struggle does not have to be permanent. Strengthening the skills related to reading and the neurological connections between different areas of the brain will result in confident, competent readers.
Neuroplasticity
The brain has the incredible ability to grow, reorganize, and reshape itself. This process is called neuroplasticity.
Changes occur in the brain based on our experiences in the world. There are examples of neuroplasticity all around us.
When we look at the brains of London cab drivers, there are structural differences in the area of the brain associated with visual-spatial mapping, reflecting their superior knowledge of the roads.
Professional musicians have more grey matter in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that translates short-term memory to long-term memory.
The brains of athletes show increased grey matter in the cerebellum, the area of the brain associated with movement and balance.
In reading, we can see how targeted interventions literally change the brain. This 2021 meta-analysis reviewed 39 brain imaging studies that show structural changes in the brain following various reading interventions. Interventions targeting decoding resulted in greater activation in Broca’s area, while interventions targeting reading fluency resulted in greater activation in the parietal-temporal area.
What does it take to improve reading?
Reading challenges are not a life sentence. When we accurately identify and remediate the underlying deficits present in a struggling reader, their brains will change. They will improve.
Step 1: Identify underlying weaknesses in cognitive and academic development.
A comprehensive learning evaluation from a neuropsychologist, school psychologist, or educational therapist can uncover the real reason a student is struggling to read.
Step 2: Create an accommodation and remediation plan.
When students are struggling, a 2-pronged approach will help keep them afloat with their current classroom demands and make lasting changes to the way their brains process information.
Accommodations are changes made to the way the content is presented to better suit the student’s current learning abilities.
Examples of classroom accommodations for reading:
Use of audiobooks or text-to-print technology
Extended time for assignments and tests
Preferential seating
Visual aids during lectures
Remediation programs are targeted interventions that aim to make lasting changes to the student’s academic skills.
Examples of reading remediation:
Multisensory structured literacy programs
Explicit phonics instruction
Using decodable texts
Heart word practice
Fluency drills
Step 3: Practice consistently.
Rebuilding neurological pathways takes repeated, consistent practice. Intensity is a cornerstone of effective reading remediation. Parents should collaborate with their students' teachers and education professionals to ensure their children practice reading skills daily. It is better to practice 5 minutes every day instead of 30 minutes once a week.
Gamify the practice to make repetitive drills more fun! Working on heart words? Make it a game of hide-and-seek. Breaking down phonemes? Use a hopscotch board and have your child hop while they say each sound.
Step 4: Monitor progress regularly.
Schedule team meetings with your child's teachers and learning staff to ensure your child is meeting progress checkpoints. Permanent progress only happens in small steps, so keep a watchful eye and celebrate the small wins. If your child is not progressing, discuss with their team what adjustments need to be made to their remediation plan.
Supporting Struggling Readers at Home
If your child is struggling to learn to read, help is available. Reading challenges are not a life sentence. Parents can support their child at home by:
Maintaining a daily habit of reading to their student. No matter your student's age, they would benefit from being read to.
Collaborating with teachers and educational professionals. Schedule regular progress monitoring meetings and actively participate in their academic achievement.
Encouraging their child through stories of hope. Struggling readers lack confidence. Tell your child about a time you struggled to learn something and how you overcame it. Read them stories that showcase people overcoming a challenge.
Reminding their child reading is a skill, not an innate ability. Just like their favorite basketball star didn’t wake up one day with a perfect 3-point shot, learning to read doesn’t happen overnight. It takes consistent, repeated practice.
If you're concerned about your child's reading challenges, don't wait. Every moment matters in developing strong reading skills.
As an educational therapist, I offer:
Free initial consultation to assess your child's unique needs
Comprehensive learning evaluations
Personalized remediation strategies
Evidence-based interventions tailored to your child's specific learning profile
Book your free consultation today. Together, we'll unlock your child's reading potential and build their confidence.
Click the link or email rebecca@neuroaidelearning.com to schedule your consultation.
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