SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100
WEEK 7: NEUROSCIENCE OF READING
 Neuroscience of Reading- a multidisciplinary
field that seeks to understand the brain
processes involved in reading, how the brain
learns to read, and how reading abilities can
be disrupted in conditions
Brain Regions Involved in Reading:
 Visual Processing
 primarily in the occipital lobe at the
back of the brain
 this area helps in recognizing letters
and words
 Language Processing
 Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area is
the regions that associate with this
 involved in understand and
producing speech
 Phonological Processing
 Left inferior frontal gyrus and
posterior superior temporal gyrus
 Important for phonemic awareness
and decoding in early reading
development
 Orthographic Processing
 referred to as the visual word form
area (VWFA).
 plays a critical role in recognizing and
distinguishing between words.
 Phonological Awareness
 The ability to break words into their
constituent phonemes
 Working Memory - crucial for temporarily
holding and manipulating information while
reading, such as keeping track of the
meaning of a sentence. The prefrontal
cortex is involved in working memory
processes.
 Learning to Read - includes the
strengthening of pathways related to visual
word recognition, phonological awareness,
and comprehension skills.
 Dyslexia - a reading disorder characterized
by difficulties in accurate and/or fluent word
recognition and by poor spelling and
decoding abilities.
 Reading Comprehension - involves
integrating information from various brain
regions involved in language processing,
memory, and executive functions.
 Reading Intervention - often aim to target
specific brain regions or processes involved
in reading and can be effective in improving
reading skills.
 Reading Networks – specific regions that
involves in reading
 Visual Word Form Area - located in the left
ventral occipitotemporal cortex, is
specialized for recognizing and processing
visual word forms.
 Language areas of the brain are associated
with handedness of the patient
 Right-handed individuals almost
exclusively have language centers in
left hemisphere (>99%)
 Left-handed: 70% have language
centers in right hemisphere, 15%
language centers in left hemisphere,
and another 15% have bilateral
centers
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100

KEY BRAIN REGIONS THAT PLAY CRUCIAL ROLES IN  It is crucial for the integration of
DIFFERENT ASPECT OF READING: language production and
comprehension during reading.
 Primary Visual Cortex (V1)
 Supramarginal Gyrus
 located in the occipital lobe at the
 Another region in the parietal lobe
back of the brain
 involved in phonological processing
 processes visual information and is
during reading. It helps with
responsible for recognizing the
recognizing and manipulating the
shapes of letters and words.
sounds of words and letters.
 Occipital-Temporal Region
 Inferior Frontal Gyrus
 located in the ventral stream of the
 Located in the frontal lobe
brain
 involved in phonological processing
 involved in processing the visual
and is particularly important in tasks
information related to the
that require sounding out unfamiliar
recognition of words and their
words
meanings.
 Basal Ganglia and Thalamus
 Angular Gyrus
 These subcortical structures play a
 located in the parietal lobe
role in the coordination of motor
 involved in understanding and
movements, including eye
relaying written language of other
movements during reading.
areas of the brain; comprehending
 Hippocampus
words
 important for memory and plays a
 Broca’s Area
role in the formation of new
 situated in the left frontal lobe
memories related to reading
 involved in initiating a speech, motor comprehension.
control of spoken language, and
sentence formation; reading 4 MAIN REGIONS OF THE BRAIN:
comprehension
 Cerebrum
 Wernicke’s Area
 largest section, makes up of over ¾ of
 located in the left temporal lobe
the brains volume
 involved in understanding spoken
 it transmits information from the
language, meaning of written words
neurons throughout the body and
and sentences and planning use of
brain
words
 Controls higher function: Learning,
 Arcuate Fasciculus
Reasoning, Speech and senses like
 bundle of nerve fibers connects
Sight and Hearing
Broca's area and Wernicke's area
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100
 Cerebellum
 It has nerve cells (purkinje cell) and
nerve fibers, it carries signals to the
other parts of the brain and to the
spinal cord
 Responsible for coordinating muscle
movements, it helps maintain the
body’s balance and posture
 Brainstem
 Lies in front of the cerebellum and
anchors the brain to the spinal cord
 Pons (carry sensory information),
Midbrain (movement, auditory and
visual), Medula Oblongata (motor
and sensory pathways) and
 Functions: Cardiac Activity,
Respiration, Digestion and Sleep
 Diencephalon
 Located above the brainstem, makes
up the core of the brain about the
size of an apricot
 Thalamus (processes and transmits
information from all senses except
smell), Hypothalamus and Pituitary
Gland (produce and regulate
neurochemicals)
 Helps governs Sensations, Weight
Regulation, Energy and Instinctual
Behaviors (eating, drinking, and
having sex)
CONNECTIONS BETWEEN BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
AND LITERACY:
 Early Brain Development - Exposure to
language and literacy-rich environments
during infancy and early childhood is
essential for healthy brain development.
This exposure helps establish the neural
pathways necessary for language processing
and reading.
 Language Centers in the Brain - The brain
has specific regions responsible for language
processing. Broca's area and Wernicke's
area, located in the left hemisphere, are
crucial for language comprehension and
production.
 Neuroplasticity - which means it can adapt
and reorganize itself in response to learning
experiences. Literacy acquisition is a prime
example of neuroplasticity in action.
 Phonological Processing - involves
recognizing and manipulating the sounds of
language (phonemes), is a critical skill for
literacy. The brain areas responsible for
phonological processing play a crucial role in
reading and writing.
 Reading Development - As children learn to
read, they typically progress through stages,
from learning letter-sound correspondences
(phonics) to recognizing whole words and
comprehending texts.
 Literacy and Cognitive Skills - Literacy is
closely linked to other cognitive skills, such
as attention, memory, and executive
functions.
 Literacy Interventions - Brain-based
interventions and educational strategies can
support individuals with reading difficulties,
such as dyslexia.
 Lifelong Impact - Literacy skills acquired
during childhood have a lasting impact on
cognitive development and academic
achievement. A strong foundation in literacy
is critical for success in education and many
aspects of adult life.
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100

WEEK 8: READING DIFFICULTIES AND  Before child enters school: Learning

INTERVENTIONS new words slowly, taking longer to
 Reading Difficulties - a learning disorder that learn how to speak, Finding rhyming
involves significant impairment of reading challenging and inability to
accuracy, speed, or comprehension to the distinguish different word sounds,
extent that the impairment interferes with  Once the child is in school:
academic achievement or activities of daily  Difficulty spelling
life.  avoiding activities that
 Reading Interventions - often part of a involves reading
school’s (federally mandated) Response to  spending a long time to
Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered System of complete task related to
Support (MTSS) process, meaning schools reading and writing
will provide reading intervention to students  difficulty copying from a
who need additional support to become book or board, difficulty
proficient readers irment interferes with remembering and
academic achievement or activities of daily understanding what she/he
life. heard
 inability to pronounce
DYSLEXIA AND OTHER CHALLENGES unfamiliar words
Dyslexia  Teens and adults:
 Difficulties summarizing
 Marked by difficulties with accurate and/or stories
fluent word recognition and poor spelling  Difficulty memorizing
and decoding abilities  Difficulty reading aloud
 It affects the part of the brain responsible for  Difficulty learning foreign
language processing language
 Rose (2009), learning difficulty that primarily  Trouble understanding
affects the skills involved in accurate and idioms
fluent word reading and spelling.  Diagnosis:
 Three types of Dyslexia:  Family history and early
 Primary - pass along family lines development
through genes  Home life
 Secondary - caused by problems in  Questionnaires to identify reading
brain development during pregnancy and language abilities
 Trauma - results from an injury to the  Neurological test
area of the brain that controls  Psychological testing
reading and writing  Oral language skills
 Symptoms:
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100

 Treatment - Teachers may use techniques
that:
 Involve hearing
 Touching
 Vision, to improve reading skills
TYPES OF READING DISABILITY BY LOUISA MOATS
AND CAROL TOLMAN:
 Phonological Deficit - implicating a core
problem in the phonological processing
system of oral language.
 Processing speed/orthographic processing
deficit - affecting speed and accuracy of
printed word recognition (also called naming
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION FOR STRUGGLING
speed problem or fluency problem).
READERS:
 Comprehension deficit - specifically found in
children with social-linguistic disabilities,
vocabulary weaknesses, generalized
language learning disorders, and learning
difficulties that affect abstract reasoning and
logical thinking.
EVIDENCE BASED READING INTERVENTIONS
 Review Fry’s Instant Sight Words
Consistently - If a child can master just the
first hundreds of these words, they will be
able to read about 50 percent of all
published text.
 Repeated Reading – By doing repeated
readings often enough, their fluency will
eventually improve across the board with
even new text.
student every day as they tackle mastering
their phonics skills.
 Increased Independent Reading Time - By
increasing the amount of time they are
independently reading; they have more
opportunity to use the strategies they are
learning through their other interventions.
 Technology-Assisted Reading - Not only will
this greatly improve fluency rates, but it will
enhance comprehension as well.
 Reader’s Theater - provides students with
an opportunity to practice their reading skills
while performing.
 Mr. Shelton learns that differentiated
instruction is an approach whereby teachers
adjust their curriculum and instruction to
maximize the learning of all students
 These includes:
 Employing effective classroom
management procedures
 Grouping students for instruction
 Assessing readiness
 Teaching to the student’s zone of
proximal development

 Systematic and Sequential Phonics and

Decoding - A systematic and sequential
phonics and decoding program will provide
short 10 to 15-minute lessons for the
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100
WEEK 9-10: DIGITAL LITERACY AND
READING
 Digital Literacy - is having the knowledge,
skills and confidence to keep up with
changes in technology
THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON READING
PRACTICES:
The impact of technology on reading literacy rates is
likely to depend on how it is used. When used
effectively, technology can be a powerful tool to
enhance literacy skills.
 Text-to-speech - allows the reader to select
a section of text and have a computer-
generated voice read that selection of text
aloud. TTS technology can be embedded in
any digital format, from classroom device-
based reading materials to email and texts to
website text.
 Audiobooks and Digital TTS Books - allow
students to hear books read aloud. With
many such technologies, students can also
slow down the audio recording without
changing the pitch of the voice. This can help
students match the audio playback speed to
the pace at which students read visually.
 Optical Character Recognition - can scan
printed visual text. OCR analyzes scanned
text, renders it into digital text form and
reads it aloud as TTS. This assistance can be
handy in the case of printed classroom
materials and homework, library materials,
handwritten teacher evaluations and
grading.
 Graphic Organizers - allow students to take
notes visually, mapping out ideas and
concepts through visual representation. This
tool helps visual learners who struggle with
reading comprehension organize concepts in
text in a way that suits their unique learning
style.
 Annotation and Dictation Tools
 Annotation helps students retain
information through taking notes
and writing comments about what
they are reading.
 Dictation technologies can allow
students who struggle with writing or
reading without distraction to speak
their notes and comments verbally
while reading.
 Display Control - can help students who
struggle with specific fonts, type size or
other visual variables adjust the way text is
displayed and make it easier to read. It can
also block out certain portions of the screen,
focusing the student's attention on a specific
section of text.
 Embedded Dictionaries and Other
Enhanced Digital Text Tools - allowing
readers to click on any word and explore its
definition, synonyms and meaning in
context.
ONLINE READING PLATFORMS
 Wattpad - online reading platform that is
free for users to publish their own original
stories as well as read other users’ stories.
 Libby - an app where you can borrow
ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines from
your local library for free.
 Apple Books - an e-book reading app on all
IOS devices where readers can purchase
books by authors that they enjoy as well as
download from their selection of free books.
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100
The drawback to this is that most of the
popular books have to be purchased which
can be pricey and this app is only on Apple
devices.
 Kindle - an e-book reading app where
readers can read from any device through
books purchased on Amazon that download
to the app.
DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS
Digital Natives – able to use technology effectively
and easily
Digital Citizens – acts appropriately and ethically in
an online environment
 Critical Thinking - it is about being able to
think for yourself.
 Online Safety Skills - Being safe online
means that you have the knowledge to
identify the potential risks and are conscious
of your personal security while browsing,
sharing or surfing the internet.
 Cyberbullying
 Sexting
 Age-appropriate content
 Photo sharing and permission
 Online extortion
 Online exploitation
 Plagiarism and Copyright
 Virus Protection
 Digital Culture - Generation Z is now
responsible for shaping what is now known
as our digital culture and are big consumers
of digital media.
 teenagers use the internet for a
variety of reasons; online gaming,
social communities, news, and
entertainment.
 this age group uses technology more
immersively to create online
communities and to shape their
identities.
 Collaboration and Creativity - Learning to
work with others is a life skill that will stand
to every student in the future.
 Jigsaw learning, collaborative writing
and task-based projects are all some
of the activities that can be done
using technology.
 websites that are safe to use with
students when doing project work:
here. they include: Scoilnet, Seomra
Ranga, National Geographic Kids
and Imagebank
 Finding Information
 Communication and Netiquette
 Share only what you feel comfortable
 Avoid sharing your location online
 Be mindful of other people’s feelings
 Pay attention to your privacy settings
 Don’t share your personal
information
 Make sure your photos passed the
nana test
 Functional Skills - developing functional
skills in students can be as easy as allowing
them to explore technology whilst giving
them help when they run into difficulty.
WEEK 11: BILINGUALISM AND
READING
 Bilingualism - refers to the coexistence of
more than one language system within an
individual, as contrasted to monolingualism.
 Bilingual Reading - the practice of reading
two versions of the same book or text at
SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF READING
WEEK 7-11 | MIDTERM REVIEWER | READ100

once – one in your target language and the

other in either in your native language or
another “base” language, which you know
really well.

ADVANTAGES OF BILINGUALISM

 Cognitive Development - understanding

complex concepts becomes easily
understood once explained in the vernacular
than the foreign language
 Learning - the ability to read and think in two
or more different languages promotes
higher levels of abstract thought, which is
important in learning.
 Social-Emotional Development - going back
to one’s roots help develop stronger ties
with family, culture and community
 Long-term success - multilinguals have more
opportunities to participate globally

DISADVANTAGES OF BILINGUALISM

 Not being able to fully master language

 Dealing with language dominance
 Mixing languages by accident
 Code switching can be tiresome
 Having translate to people
 Losing your cultural identity
 Facing prejudice
 Having different personalities

LANGUAGE TRANSFER AND READING SKILLS

 Language Transfer - occurs when students

learning a new language apply the rules and
norms of their first language to their second.