The Reading Brain 101

The multifunction region spanning the upper and the lower, adjacent , we recruit additional areas that help to process multiple elements of sounds and meanings, which are particularly important for alphabetic and syllabary systems.

In a child’s brain, unlike an adult’s, the first large activation area covers far more territory in the (i.e., visual & visual association areas).

Recently, neuroscientists at Washington University found that children use more of several specific regions than adults do, particularly the and , which are two important structures for integrating phonological processes with visual, orthographic, and semantic processes

Non-literate brains handle reading in the —area of executive functioning—where is attention required.

Literate readers light up areas in the —the listening lobe.

Nature’s best conductive material, , consists of fatty sheathing warped around the cell’s axons.