“How Does the Brain Learn to Read?” Video (Jason Yeatman, Ph.D.)—An Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education and Department of Psychology at Stanford University, lays out the neurobiological underpinnings of literacy and asks the question: “Why do some children struggle learning to read?” Dr. Yeatman presents data showing how intensive, evidence-based reading intervention programs can reshape the development of the brain’s reading circuitry. He concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for dyslexia screening and intervention.
“How the Brain Learns to Read” Video (Prof. Stanislas Dehaene)—Cognitive psychology and neuroscience have begun to dissect the neuronal mechanisms of literacy using brain-imaging techniques. During reading acquisition, our brain circuitry recycles several of its pre-existing visual and auditory areas in order to reorient them to the processing of letters and phonemes. The nature of this "neuronal recycling" process helps explain many of the children's difficulties in learning to read. Our growing understanding of the child's brain has important consequences for how education should be optimally organized.
“Science of Reading: Defining Guide” Book Launch Event Video—The book release is the culmination of over a year of hard work and dedication from many champions within the science of reading movement. The book provides a firm definition of what the science of reading is, what it is not, and how all stakeholders can understand its potential to transform reading instruction.
“The Simple View of Reading” Video (Dr. Wes Hoover) Video—A reference clarifying what the Science of Reading IS and what it IS NOT. To further explain the content of the guide, we have produced the Defining Guide Video Series: Experts Explain. These short, engaging videos can be used for professional development or simply for conversations with colleagues.
What Does It Mean to Be a Skilled Reader?” Video—Humans are born wired to talk. They learn by being surrounded by spoken language. Learning to read, on the other hand, is different since people don't instinctively know how. This course explains what is needed to become a skilled reader by examining two foundational models of reading instruction: “The Simple View of Reading” (a formula that demonstrates how reading is based on word recognition and language comprehension) and Hollis Scarborough’s “Reading Rope” (a visual representation of what goes into learning to read).