Brain Imaging Research

Reading is not automatic but must be learned. The reader must develop a conscious awareness that the letters on the page represent the sounds of the spoken word. To read the word "cat," the reader must parse, or segment, the word into its underlying phonological elements. Once the word is in its phonological form, it can be identified and understood. In dyslexia, an inefficient phonological module produces representations that are less clear and hence more difficult to bring to awareness. (Scientific American, November 1996, page 100). In READING the word (for example, "cat") is first decoded into its phonological form ("kuh, aah, tuh") and identified. Once it is identified, higher-level cognitive functions such as intelligence and vocabulary are applied to understand the word's meaning ("small furry mammal that purrs"). In people who have dyslexia, a phonological deficit impairs decoding, thus preventing the reader from using his or her intelligence and vocabulary to get to the word's meaning. (Scientific American, November 1996, page 101)

Neural Architecture for reading has been suggested by functional magnetic resonance imaging. letter identification activates the extrastriate cortex in the occipital lobe; phonological processing activates the inferior frontal gyrus (Broca's area); and accessing meaning activates primarily the superior temporal gyrus and parts of the middle temporal and supramarginal gyri.

According to Dr. Shaywitz, "Over the past two decades, a coherent model of dyslexia has emerged that is based on phonological processing. The phonological model is consistent both with the clinical symptoms of dyslexia and with what neuroscientists know about brain organization and function. Investigators from many laboratories, including my colleagues and I at the Yale Center, have had the opportunity through 10 years of cognitive, and more recently, neurobiological studies."

Dyslexics (or poor readers) are very frustrated by the fact that they can understand what they hear but not what they read. Dyslexics have average or above average intelligence. Once they can properly decode words they can understand the concept. Decoding skills are the key to learning from written material.

Years of educational research has shown that the use of intensive phonics is the only way to teach dyslexics and learning disabled individuals how to read. The new brain research shows why intensive phonics is also the best way for everyone to learn to read.

Unfortunately, 80% of our nation's schools do not teach reading by intensive phonics. Most school use either the whole word method or a mix of whole word and phonics. The pictures above illustrate why the brain is confused by this approach.

For over 20 years, The Phonics Game (a complete learning system) has successfully taught children and adults how to read in as little as 18 hours. Also, research has shown that developing reading skills at an early age is an advantage for children later in their school careers. Because of this a new program has been developed that introduces children as young as 3 or 4 to the magic of letters and sounds and how they go together to make words. Children can become early readers.

For More Reading on This Subject:
Reiben Laurence & Perfetti, Charles, Learning To Read, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Hillsdale, NJ 1991

Lyon, G Reid, Toward A Definition of Dyslexia, Annals of Dyslexia, Vol 45 pp3-27

Shaywitz, Sally, Dyslexia, Scientific American, November 1996 pp98-104

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