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This article is derived from Reading and the Brain written by our partner Landmark Outreach, providing PD and Coaching for Educators.

Did you know that reading isn’t something our brains are naturally wired to do? Unlike walking or talking, which we pick up by watching others, reading is a skill we have to be taught. It’s not as simple as just being around books or hearing words. To become readers, we need to learn how the sounds of language match up with the symbols we see on a page.

Thanks to years of research in neuroscience, scientists have been able to uncover what happens in our brains when we read. Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a neuroscientist and dyslexia expert, explains this process in her book Overcoming Dyslexia. Using tools like fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging), researchers have seen how different parts of the brain work together during reading. They’ve identified two main pathways that help us read:

1. Parieto-temporal Pathway: Located in the middle of the brain, this part of the brain helps us slowly sound out words, letter by letter and sound by sound. It’s used by beginning readers and for words that are unfamiliar. This pathway works like a step-by-step process to decode words.

2. Occipito-temporal Pathway: Located in the bottom and back of the brain, this is the brain’s “fast lane” for reading. It helps us instantly recognize words we’ve seen before and connect them to their meanings. Dr. Shaywitz says, “The more skilled the reader, the more she activates this region. It responds very rapidly – in less than 150 milliseconds (less than a heartbeat) to seeing a word” (Shaywitz 2020, p. 76).

For fluent readers, these pathways work smoothly together, allowing reading to feel natural and effortless. But for individuals with dyslexia, these pathways don’t communicate as well. Instead, their brains rely on other systems to decode words, which makes reading slower and more challenging. This slower process can make it harder to build the kind of quick word recognition that fluent readers have.

Dr. Shaywitz stresses that dyslexia is not caused by lack of effort. Instead, it’s rooted in how the brain is wired from the very beginning. She explains, “The wiring glitch is present from the start of reading and does not represent the end result of poor reading” (Shaywitz 2020, p. 79).

Understanding how the brain reads is a powerful way to help us support all readers, especially those with dyslexia. With the right teaching and tools, struggling readers can develop new strategies to become successful.

Explore these titles for a deeper understanding

Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Stanislaw Dahene

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz

Proust and the Squid by Maryanne Wolf

Reader Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World by Maryanne Wolf

Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can’t, and What Can Be Done About It by Mark Seidenberg

References

Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, J. (2020). Overcoming dyslexia: A major update and revision of the Essential Program for reading problems at any level, incorporating the latest breakthroughs in science, educational methods, technology, and legal accommodations. Alfred A. Knopf.

About the Author

The Landmark Outreach Program offers educators meaningful and effective professional development and coaching grounded in theory and practice to empower students who learn differently. Learn more about their online courses, Summer Institute, webinars, and school partnerships.

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