Running head: THE READING PROCESS AND THE BRAIN

The Reading Process and the Brain Apri !orse ED" #1$ Cogniti%e Studies Capstone Instructor &oanna Sa%arese'(e%ine Apri 1#) *+1#

THE READING PROCESS AND THE BRAIN The Reading Process and the Brain In recent ,ears) -odern techno og, has a [Link] researchers to understand the hu-an /rain in greater depth than e%er /e0ore1 The /rain i-aging techni2ues that are no. a%ai a/ e pro%ide a -u titude o0 ne. in0or-ation regarding the /rain and ho. a person earns1 One o0 the -ore intriguing topics) especia , 0or educators) is ho. the /rain earns to read1 The 0o [Link] paper .i introduce the /rain 0unctions and neura path.a,s in%o %ed .ith reading) an e3e-p ar, case o0 a chi d that has trou/ e reading) and a so so-e suggestions that can /e used to he p the strugg ing chi d /oth in and out o0 the c assroo-1

Scientists disco%ered that there are three -ain regions o0 the /rain that /eco-e acti%e .hen a person is reading) /oth a oud and si ent ,1 !ost o0 these areas are 0ound in the e0t he-isphere o0 the /rain) .hich is re0erred to as the anguage and speech side1 The 0irst area is 4no.n as Broca5s area1 This area is 0ound in the 0ronta o/e o0 the /rain1 Broca5s area is responsi/ e 0or sending the -essages to the -otor corte3 that resu t in the %oca chords producing speech1 Ho.e%er) e%en .hen a reader read si ent , and not a oud) researchers noticed that Broca5s area re-ained acti%e1 6It is as i0 the /rain is prepared to utter the .ords at a -o-ent5s notice7 89ischer : I--ordino';ang) *++<=1 Broca5s area is connected to part o0 the second region) 4no.n as >ernic4e5s area) /, a /und e o0 ner%e 0i/ers) 4no.n as arcuate 0ascicu us1 This /und e o0 ner%e 0i/ers is the path.a, /, .hich >ernic4e5s area [Link] asse-/ es .ords correct , so that .e can co-prehend and prepare to spea4= re a,s the initia -essage to Broca5s area1 In addition to >ernic4e5s area) the angu ar g,rus -a4es up the rest o0 the second region o0 the /rain5s reading s,ste-1 The angu ar g,rus ies in c ose pro3i-it, to /oth >ernic4e5s area and the %isua corte31 One o0 the -ore i-portant 0unctions o0 this area is 6the association o0 spo4en and seen .ords7 89ischer : I--ordino';ang) *++<=1

THE READING PROCESS AND THE BRAIN The third region o0 the /rain5s reading s,ste- is ca ed the 6%isua .ord 0or- area71 This area is ocated at the /ase o0 the e0t te-pora o/e1 >ernic4e) the neuro ogist credited .ith the disco%er, o0 >ernic4e5s area) 0ound that so-e o0 his patients .ith da-age to the /ase o0 the te-pora o/e had trou/ e recogni@ing .ho e .ords1 (ater) this .as con0ir-ed as the area not on , responsi/ e 0or this recognition) /ut a so that 6this region is acti%e .hen peop e na-e pictures or sounds) such as 5door/e 5 or 50oghorn57 89ischer : I--oridno';ang) *++<=1 So-eti-es da-age to one o0 these regions .i cause a person to /eco-e una/ e to read1 Other ti-es) the cause can /e genetics1 ADHD is a .onder0u e3a-p e1 A though ADHD can /e the resu t o0 poor prenata care ta4en /, an e3pectant -other) or accidenta e3posure o0 the 0etus to har-0u su/stances) it a so has a strong genetic co-ponent1 Chi dren .ith ADHD o0ten ha%e d,sregu ation o0 neurotrans-itters in the /rain1 !ost co--on ,) chi dren .ith ADHD ha%e pro/ e-s -aintaining the 0ocus and attention needed 0or the /rain5s reading s,ste- to .or41 Attention is needed .hen reading so that 0ocus is p aced on the correct sti-u i that acti%ate the

%isua corte3 o0 the /rain1 A chi d .ith ADHD -a, not ha%e the re2uired attention span needed to acti%ate this part o0 the reading s,ste-1 Another issue that ac4 o0 attention -a, cause .ith reading is the ina/i it, to process .ords and phrases into .or4ing -e-or,1 This eads to a ac4 o0 co-prehension1 A though the chi d -ight initia , 6read7 the sentence) heAshe has no reco ection and cannot associate an, -eaning to it1 This ac4 o0 attention is 0or a coup e o0 reasons1 The chi d -a, not /e sti-u ated enough) or is o%er sti-u ated1 Their 0ocus -a, /e on -ore e3citing sti-u i rather than the /oo4 in 0ront o0 the-) or the, are so /us, tr,ing to 0ocus on .ords that the, ha%e ,et /een a/ e to encode into -e-or,) 0or the ac4 o0 attention) that the, cannot put an,-ore attention on understanding the .ords the, are reading1

THE READING PROCESS AND THE BRAIN 9ortunate , there are instructiona -ethods and techni2ues that are a%ai a/ e to he p a chi d strugg ing to read1 One stud, conducted on three students .ith ADHD .hose reading

co-prehension su00ered 0ound that using co-puter assisted instruction 8the Headsprout progra-= great , increased the reading 0 uenc, 0or each student1 6Across the ? students) the CAI 8co-puter assisted instruction= inter%ention produced /oth higher -ean e%e s o0 ora reading 0 uenc, and greater rates o0 [Link] co-pared to the /ase ine resu ts7 8C ar0ie d : Stoner) *++B=1 Co-puter assisted instruction can /e uti i@ed /oth in schoo and at ho-e 0or strugg ing readers1 Progra-s i4e Headsprout 4eep the student /oth engaged and e3cited) causing attention to /e 0ocused on the -ateria at hand rather than other distractions1 Another techni2ue that has pro%en to /e a success is teaching the student .ith attention de0iciencies -eta'cognition s4i s such as se 0'-onitoring during reading1 In one stud,) t.o ADHD students .ere taught to thin4 /e0ore) during) and a0ter reading a passage1 The, .ere to d to thin4 a/out the purpose o0 the author) .hat the, a read, 4ne.) .hat the, .anted to 4no.) etc1) .hi e reading1 This not on , he ped the students -aintain attention) gi%ing the- a 6Co/7 to co-p ete) /ut increased their reading co-prehension s4i s) as .e as teaching the- to adCust their reading speed so that the, cou d -aintain 0ocus on the tas4 at hand1 6Both students5 reading co-prehension i-pro%ed during and a0ter essons .hen co-pared .ith per0or-ance /e0ore instruction7 8Heden) !ason) : Ga00ne,) *+11=1 This is another instructiona techni2ue that can /e used /oth .ithin schoo as .e as at ho-e1 >hen reading to a chi d) the parent or teacher shou d re-ind the- to thin4 o0 6.hat7 the, are reading) enco-passing the -ain idea and re ating the in0or-ation to pre%ious 4no. edge1 In conc usion) ho. the /rain earns to read is uni2ue 0or each indi%idua 1 Da-age to the areas o0 the /rain re2uired 0or speech) reading) and co-prehension can great , i-pact a person5s a/i it, to decipher .ritten te3t1 9or chi dren .ith attention disorders) it can /e an especia ,

THE READING PROCESS AND THE BRAIN di00icu t tas41 9ortunate ,) research has pro%ided a ternate and additiona -ethods 0or reading inc uding -a4ing use o0 co-puter techno og,) as .e as teaching -eta'cognition s4i s that .i a o. these students to enCo, the .or d o0 reading as -uch as their 0e o. peers1

THE READING PROCESS AND THE BRAIN Re0erences C ar0ie d) &1) : Stoner) G1 8*++B=1 Schoo Ps,cho og, Re%ie.1 The effects of computerized reading instruction on the academic performance of students identified with adhd. E?# n* p*#D'*B# *++B1 Fpp1 Accession no1 E&$<<*+* Retrie%ed 0rohttp:AAeds1/1e/scohost1co9ischer ) G1 >1) I--ordino';ang) !1 H1) : ) 8*++<=1The &osse,'Bass reader on the /rain and earning181st ed1=1 San 9rancisco) CA: &osse,'Bass1 Hedin) (1) !ason) (1) : Ga00ne,) &1 8*+11=1 Pre%enting Schoo 9ai ure1 Comprehension strategy

instruction for two students with attention-related disabilities. Eo 1 BB Issue ?) p1#<'1B$1 1+p1 1 I ustration) * Charts) * Graphs1 Doi:1+11+<+A1+#BF<<H1*+1+1#FF?F? Retrie%ed 0ro- http:AAeds1/1e/scohost1co-