Use your brain and teach children to read properly
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Use your brain and teach children to read properly (theconversation.com) (2011)
“Almost half of all Australians aged 15-74 years had literacy skills below the level required to participate effectively in our society, according to a 2008 study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The Victorian Auditor-General has noted that efforts to improve the literacy achievement have done little to improve the average achievement of students across the state, despite an investment of $1.19 billion in the six years prior to the completion of the study in 2009.
The report was also critical of the failure to assess the effectiveness of the key elements of its approach to literacy, for example, the Reading Recovery intervention for year one students.
Producing failure
The initial teaching of reading continues to follow a discredited model, and misteaching continues to produce an unacceptably high failure rate among students.
The main reason is that our system has ignored the enormous amount of research that can offer a solution to our literacy problems. This point was made in the 2005 Report of the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy.
Some of this research shows us how our brains react to different teaching approaches.
Examining the brain
When functional MRI brain imaging is used to examine what is occurring when someone is reading, good readers are seen to activate several places on the brain’s left hemisphere. These areas are used co-operatively to convert letters into sounds, and then to fit the sounds together to make words we know.
Flourishing readers have realised that the alphabet’s letters are symbols intended to evoke those sounds, and they have learned how the sounds are blended to build words.
One of these left-brain regions (parieto-temporal area) is employed in sounding out words.
Building blocks
Over time, as young readers perform this sounding-out of written words, they start to build a model of that word in another section of the brain (occipito-temporal area).
After they’ve sounded a word correctly several times, their model progressively develops into a replica of the printed word. It shows the way the word is pronounced, the way it is spelt, and what it means.
These various features become bonded together so that seeing the word evokes its meaning in addition to its pronunciation.
Readers clarify and store these models in this second region of the left brain. When that familiar word is subsequently seen in print, it is routed to this second region, and its recognition is automatic and instant - in a period briefer than a heartbeat.
When this process occurs regularly, students begin to display rapid, effortless reading rather than the earlier, slower, sounding-out strategy.
Sounding it out
It is tempting to suggest that children should not be taught to sound out, because it isn’t the way skilled readers respond to print.
But, what brain science has demonstrated is that you don’t access this second fast-acting region without initially building up the first region.
Once children latch on to the logic of our alphabetic language, it doesn’t take many soundings-out to create the firm links necessary, but some children require more practice than others.
As this process continues words that look similar to now-known words are converted to models much more quickly.
Slower progress may relate to either genetics or inadequate experiences, including unhelpful teaching.
A different part of the brain
Those who struggle to read appear not to use these productive brain regions for reading. Instead, they create an alternative neural pathway.
It is purely a compensatory strategy involving the visual centres of the right hemisphere - looking at words as if they were pictures.
Little activity is observed in the phonological areas of the left hemisphere where capable readers’ activity is dominant.
The brains of people who can’t sound out words look different - there is less blood flow to the language centres of the brain.
If this sequence (from sounding out to whole word recognition) is not adequately taught, some children will still figure it out for themselves.
However, too many will be forced to employ less rapid and accurate systems, such as prediction from a story’s context, guessing from pictures or the first letter, or trying to memorise every word.
Developing experiences
We now understand that the brain responds to multiple similar experiences. These stimulate activity in particular areas, building connections in and between those active brain regions.
That is how practice makes permanent.
Practising productive strategies forms and strengthens the optimal connections that stimulate subsequent reading development.
In the same way, routinely engaging in ineffective strategies also builds circuits in the brain, but circuits that are second-rate for reading.
These routines are not easy to break when students grow older, perhaps because particularly between ages five and ten a pruning process erases under-used neural cells.
Catch them when young
Forming neural links for language is relatively easy up to about age six, and though achievable after that time, requires much more effort. That is why effective initial teaching is so important.
Among those struggling readers, there are teaching strategies that can alter the inefficient pattern of brain activation. Studies have indicated that about 60 hours of careful daily phonics teaching alters the way the brain responds to print.
Inefficient right-hemisphere activity diminishes, and left-hemisphere activity increases. Subsequent MRI images appear much more like those of good readers. The measured reading outcomes include increased fluency and comprehension.
A taxing effort
The brain imaging studies have also shown how difficult and exhausting is the task of reading for struggling students. They use up to five times as much energy when reading as do fluent readers. It is not surprising that they prefer not to read.
Slow early literacy development usually predicts a progressive decline in academic progress across the primary and secondary years. Such students increasingly lose access to the curriculum, and many become early school-leavers.
The 2005 Australian NITL report called for a renewed emphasis on the phonological approach to beginning reading, in which children take their first steps toward skilled reading by breaking words into sounds and syllables.
This can make a huge difference to the many students for whom reading is unnecessarily difficult, whether the cause involves brain anomalies (very few) or inappropriate teaching (the vast majority). Recent inquiries in the US and Britain reached similar conclusions.
At a time when real reform is possible, it is unfortunate that some politicians and teacher organisations decry both the need for change and the strong evidence upon which the recommendations are based.
Our children’s future is at stake. And it’s time to move on this.”
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11 Comments
Emeritus Professor of Education, Macquarie University
Well said Kerry. This is the clearest exposition I have read on this topic. I shall be recommending it widely.
Liz Dunoon
Dear Kerry, I love your article. It is simple to read and easy to understand. I endorse all the recommendations that are in it having just spent two years studying phonics and the previous eight studying dyslexia. I wish I had learn t this at teachers college. Thank you for writing it. I shall share it with all on my database, many of whom are parents and teachers supporting children/students with dyslexia. KIndest regards Liz Dunoon
www.helpingchildrenwithdyslexia.com
Phillip Ebrall
Professor of Chiropractic
Very nicely written, Kerry. As a grandparent, I appreciate your contribution.
Darren Stops
logged in via Facebook
Dear Kerry,
This is a really clear and concise discussion, and I will be spreading it far and wide.
The Science has been "in" on this for decades, and yet we still have huge numbers of what Max Colheart calls "Instructional Casualties" : children who were not taught the phonological strategies that the evidence shows is fundamental to learning to read.
The 2005 NITL report is now 6 years old, which is also a good time to establish print-sound correspondence. Implementation of the recommendations should be a national priorty - it's a shame there's no votes in it.
Regards
Darren Stops
over 12 years agoSara Davies
Deputy Director (Indo-Pacific Research) ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Griffith University
I also found this article very interesting and helpful. I wonder if the emphasis also needs to be on how parents read to their children? If half of Australian adults have difficulty reading then their children may be casualties of this? I understand that how reading is taught in the classroom is important, and why the piece focuses on this aspect. But as a parent, I am often worried about whether I am reading to my child in a way that is of use to him, i.e. teaching him how to read for himself. I am not the only parent who worries about this. I worry about this because I think parents should be doing the 'prep' work before our children go to school, but are we helping or not?! In sum, I would appreciate knowing how I should be reading to my child because I am under the belief that I will am just as important (if not more so) than the teachers in my child's reading experience. Thanks again.
Senior Industry Fellow, School of Education, RMIT University
There are those who believe that learning to read is as natural as learning to speak, and thus simply reading to children will be sufficient to evoke reading from the child. This turns out to be an unhelpful perspective, as first the assumption is wrong, and second the evidence tells us that one needs to do rather more than simply read for most children to get the hang of it.
Hearing children read is a further step, but it too of itself has little impact for most children. What has been shown to be crucial as how we as parents respond to children’s reading. What sort of text should we use? Do we simply praise the children for their efforts, or do we correct errors? If so, how should we respond to errors? Are we alert to children using dead-end cues, such as seeking the word from the picture, or guessing from the first letter, or memorising whole sentences (as the text were a poem)? If a word is incorrect for accuracy, but retains the meaning of the passage, should we correct it? Sometimes teachers may encourage children to use these unhelpful cues.
An interesting recent review of research found “The combined results for the 16 intervention studies, representing 1,340 families, were clear. The three studies in which parents read to their children did not result in significant reading gains. Further analyses revealed that interventions in which parents tutored their children using specific literacy activities produced larger effects than those in which parents listened to their children read books” (p.880).
Sénéchal, M., & Young, L. (2008). The effect of family literacy interventions on children’s acquisition of reading from Kindergarten to Grade 3: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 880-907.
There are free reproducible language and early literacy activities that are evidence-based, and help parents to assist their children to develop the alphabetic principle, along with their language skills. To download materials go to www.walearning.com and click on the purple button that says "Free Parent Education Handouts" on the home page. These materials include forty-six home and community activities for adults and preschool children that encourage early language and literacy development in young children. They are appropriate for children with disabilities as well as children who are developing typically.
Each of the forty-six activities includes 1) An activity description, 2) Hints for making the activity fun and developmentally appropriate, and 3) A brief self-evaluation form that cues parents and other caregivers to notice their children's skills, and also cue adults to examine and grow their own interactions with their children. The materials are specifically designed to address the three key skills of 1) language development, 2) phonological awareness, and 3) general print awareness.
Emma Hartnell-Baker
Great article! I shall share it on the Read Australia facebook page and link to it on the new 'Reading By Six' in Australia campaign site!
It's definitely time we started to bring about change across Australia, focusing on the early years. We need to focus much more on a preventative approach to reading failure, and the only way to do that is by exceptional teaching in the early years that meets the needs of every child- regardless of your own personal 'philosophy' about how to teach reading. We need to fucus on learning outcomes. If all children aren't reading by six then let's look at what needs to change. Informative and accurate information is the best way to start. So thank you!
Natoya Rose
Unfortunate I think you, along with many others are missing the point entirely. Why is it that the function of the child never seems to enter the equation. I find it unfortunate that when what you are proposing is utilised that children are then trained into swapping out visual processing (which must remain a priority in order for function to be maintained or developed) with auditory processing. The truth is that functional children do not struggle with literacy and when their functional deficits are addressed effectively and efficiently then it is not necessary to resort to strategising literacy to such a degree - the kids naturally step into such tasks. I also find it unfortunate that the 'substantial research' carried out is focused on treating humans as linear systems when they are not - no wonder the plethora of 'well researched' reading recovery programmes have such limited success. Personally and professionally I know there are better ways of addressing the issue and this is not it.
Tina Pickford
logged in via LinkedIn
A fantastic article on the link between auditory processing and reading. This brings me back to the "National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy" report by the late Ken Rowe & team, in which it was recommended that "‘fences’ be built at the top of the ‘cliff’ in preference to the provision of belated and costly ‘ambulance services’ at the bottom", and highlighted auditory processing capacity as a necessary prerequisite skill for all children.
http://www.soniclearning.com.au
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Recent documents
While the science of reading has made real and substantive change within education, there unfortunately remain too many misunderstandings and misinterpretations of what the science of reading is, and stubborn resistance to all it has to offer. Now more than ever it is vital that we work towards an understanding of the science of reading and what it has to say about teaching our students how to read.
Written for beginning or seasoned teachers, homeschoolers, teacher educators, as well as parents who want to fully engage in their child’s literacy development, this updated and highly readable new edition presents brain science, reading research, and theory in ways that can be understood and directly applied in teaching, ultimately leading to efficacious science of reading based literacy instruction.
Gentry and Ouellette show how an understanding of the science of reading can shape teaching to help make all students literate. Building on their science of reading based framework of “brain words”—dictionaries in the brain where students store and access word spelling, pronunciation, and meaning—the authors offer a wealth of information to transform your thinking and practice. They offer:
- an updated review of models of reading, developmental theory, and brain research that help explain the reading brain
- a new exploration of how oral language provides the foundation for learning to read and write, and how elements of oral language directly contribute to literacy learning throughout the school years
- an evolving critique of classroom practices that aren't as effective as once believed
- explicit guidance on how spelling can be used to teach the critical skill of word reading
- a deepened understanding of dyslexia through the lens of the science of reading
With the insights and strategies in Brain Words, you can meet your students where they are and ensure that more of them read well, think well, and write well.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter Chapter 1|14 pages
The Science of Reading: Rethinking Reading Instruction as Building a Dictionary in the Brain
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 2|18 pages
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 3|14 pages
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 4|12 pages
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 5|22 pages
What Works and What Doesn't: An Evolving Critical Look at Current Teaching Practices
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 6|24 pages
Phase Observation for Early Spelling to Read
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 7|22 pages
Spell-to-Read: Building Brain Words in Kindergarten and First Grade
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 8|16 pages
Building Brain Words in Second Through Sixth Grade
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 9|18 pages
Understanding and Supporting Children with Dyslexia in Light of the Science of Reading
Title
Abstract
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Related Books
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A High School English Teacher's Guide to Writing Literary
The science of reading meets the science of learning: memory systems, structured literacy, and the role of AI (2025)
“As terms like the Science of Reading and Science of Learning gain prominence in education policy and practice, there is a growing need to clarify what learning entails at a cognitive systems level. In this perspective review, we argue that meaningful instructional practice, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence (AI), must align with the distinct yet interacting memory systems that support human learning across development. Drawing on cognitive science, neuroscience, and educational psychology research, we provide a functional overview of implicit and explicit memory systems and examine their relevance for literacy development. We then frame Structured Literacy within the instructional hierarchy, illustrating how each learning phase (i.e., acquisition, fluency, generalization, adaptation) involves specific learning mechanisms and instructional demands. Finally, we evaluate how AI tools may support or undermine these processes and propose phase-specific approaches to responsible integration. AI should be judged not by its technical sophistication, but by its capacity to support memory systems, preserve teacher agency, and promote lasting, transferable literacy outcomes, especially for vulnerable learners. These are empirical questions. This perspective review is intended to motivate future research into Structured Literacy framed within a more expansive understanding of the science of learning and the responsible, efficacious use of AI in education.”
Odegard, T.N., Gierka, M.V. (2025). The science of reading meets the science of learning: memory systems, structured literacy, and the role of AI. Ann. of Dyslexia (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-025-00345-y
Associations between screen-based media use and brain white matter integrity in preschool-aged children (2020)
Recent evidence suggests that screen-based media use poses neurobiological risks in children,16-19 yet its associations with early brain development are largely unknown, particularly during the dynamic span of development before kindergarten.10 Although sensory networks mature relatively early,11 those sensory networks for higher-order skills, such as language,12 executive function,20,21 multi modal association,13 and reading,22,23 exhibit protracted development11,14 and are dependent on constructive stimulation in the home. Specifically, the organization and myelination of white matter tracts, which enhance the efficiency of signal conduction within and between these net works, are highly sensitive to environmental factors.21,24-26
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful means to quantify white matter integrity in the brain and its various factors.27 Parameters of DTI include fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD), scalar values associated with microstructural organization (e.g, bundling, packing), and myelination of white matter tracts.28 The aim of this study was to use DTI to explore the association between composite screen-based media use in the context of the domains cited in the AAP recommendations5 (access, frequency, content, and coviewing) and the indexes of white matter integrity in preschool-aged children, particularly major tracts involved with language, executive functions, and emergent literacy (arcuate fasciculus, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, and uncinate fasciculus).29-34 Given the evidence of risks associated with screen time,5,7 we administered assessments of expressive language, speed of processing, and emergent literacy skills to serve as cognitive behavioral correlates. Our hypothesis was that higher use would be associated with lower integrity in these tracts (i.e., lower FA and higher RD) and with lower scores on corresponding cognitive measures.
Hutton, J. S., Dudley, J., Horowitz-Kraus, T., DeWitt, T., & Holland, S. K. (2020). Associations between screen-based media use and brain white matter integrity in preschool-aged children. JAMA pediatrics, 174(1), e193869-e193869.
The science of reading and its educational implications (2013)
“While the science of reading has made real and substantive change within education, there unfortunately remain too many misunderstandings and misinterpretations of what the science of reading is, and stubborn resistance to all it has to offer. Now more than ever it is vital that we work towards an understanding of the science of reading and what it has to say about teaching our students how to read.
Written for beginning or seasoned teachers, homeschoolers, teacher educators, as well as parents who want to fully engage in their child’s literacy development, this updated and highly readable new edition presents brain science, reading research, and theory in ways that can be understood and directly applied in teaching, ultimately leading to efficacious science of reading based literacy instruction.
Gentry and Ouellette show how an understanding of the science of reading can shape teaching to help make all students literate. Building on their science of reading based framework of “brain words”—dictionaries in the brain where students store and access word spelling, pronunciation, and meaning—the authors offer a wealth of information to transform your thinking and practice. They offer:
- an updated review of models of reading, developmental theory, and brain research that help explain the reading brain
- a new exploration of how oral language provides the foundation for learning to read and write, and how elements of oral language directly contribute to literacy learning throughout the school years
- an evolving critique of classroom practices that aren't as effective as once believed
- explicit guidance on how spelling can be used to teach the critical skill of word reading
- a deepened understanding of dyslexia through the lens of the science of reading
With the insights and strategies in Brain Words, you can meet your students where they are and ensure that more of them read well, think well, and write well.”
Seidenberg, M. S. (2013). The science of reading and its educational implications. Language learning and development, 9(4), 331-360.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
chapter Chapter 1|14 pages
The Science of Reading: Rethinking Reading Instruction as Building a Dictionary in the Brain
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 2|18 pages
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 3|14 pages
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 4|12 pages
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 5|22 pages
What Works and What Doesn't: An Evolving Critical Look at Current Teaching Practices
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 6|24 pages
Phase Observation for Early Spelling to Read
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 7|22 pages
Spell-to-Read: Building Brain Words in Kindergarten and First Grade
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 8|16 pages
Building Brain Words in Second Through Sixth Grade
Title
Abstract
chapter Chapter 9|18 pages
Understanding and Supporting Children with Dyslexia in Light of the Science of Reading
Title
Abstract
You do not have access to this content currently. Please click 'Get Access' button to see if you or your institution have access to this content.
To purchase a print version of this book for personal use or request an inspection copy
Related Books
The Literacy Coaching Handbook
A High School English Teacher's Guide to Writing Literary
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