What Brain Research Suggests for Teaching Reading Strategies

Abstract

How the brain learns to read has been the subject of much neuroscience educational research. Evidence is mounting for identifiable networks of connected neurons that are particularly active during reading processes such as response to visual and auditory stimuli, relating new information to prior knowledge, long-term memory storage, comprehension, and memory retrieval. This article offers strategies that build on current research showing the correlation of brain structure and literacy development, providing interventions for educators.

Judy Willis is a neurologist and credentialed teacher at Santa Barbara Middle School, who combined her neuroscience knowledge and years of classroom experience to become an authority in the field of learning-centered brain research. She has written five books on the subject. Her most recent book, Teaching the Brain to Read: Strategies for Improving Fluency, Vocabulary and Comprehension Reading, was published by ASCD in 2008 and will be followed by How Math Adds Up in Students' Brains in 2009. Her Web site is www.radteach.com