The “Reading Brain” is Taught, Not Born: Evidence From the Evolving Neuroscience of Reading for Teachers and Society

In this paper we will describe contributions to the science of reading from cognitive neuroscience, an area in which researchers study the underpinnings of different cognitive functions, like reading or math. As we will explore here, the study of the brain-basis of reading begins with the fact that, unlike oral language, there is no ready-made genetic program for learning to read. Rather, for human-invented capacities like reading, the brain must create new circuits.