# data[].attributes.body
The video highlighted the importance of oral language and vocabulary building for reading success.

Also Montessori pre-reading activities build skills in the early years that can set kids up for later reading.

# data[].attributes.body
Motivation is an important multiplier of learning.

The intensity of learning is heightened by factors such as motivation, attention, concentration and reward.

# data[].attributes.body
It was really interesting to see that some languages require far less time to develop reading skills than others. Not surprised that English requires more time than others.

# data[].attributes.body
Phonic awareness is critical for reading development. Should we question the learning of "sight words" as a practice?

# data[].attributes.body
Handwriting exercises including the writing patterns we used to model as a basis for cursive writing emphasised the left to right habit which was also helping children to read. It could also be creating a kinaesthetic connection for those who learn that way.

# data[].attributes.body
“Brain research converges with educational research: teaching letter - sound correspondences is the fastest way to acquire reading and comprehension. Once these correspondences are learned, self learning can occur. Children decipher words, recognise them auditorily, and access their meaning. This develops second, direct route from vision to meaning.”

# data[].attributes.body
The brain has to physically change and create new pathways in order to be able to think about the connection between a written letter or word, and it’s related sound.

# data[].attributes.body
The whole word learning is a myth, as we become older we just become faster at 'reading' the letters together, so should we place so much emphasis on placing the letters on/above/below the line so early in their formal education?

# data[].attributes.body
Children have the tools to self teach once they have learned letter:sound correspondences.

# data[].attributes.body
The creation of circuits in the brain is helped by cursive writing. My curiosity leads me to think about the fonts we use in displays, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
I thought that this diagram of the Reading Rope was excellent in showing what a skilled reader needs to be fluent and have text comprehension.

# data[].attributes.body
I felt that this comment was a good summary of what teaching reading is about: Educators who are knowledgeable
about the necessary connections
between the pronunciation of the
spoken word, the sequence of
letters in the printed word, and
the meaning of the word, can
implement reading instruction
and assessment that promotes
the level of automatic word
recognition that is necessary for
deep processing of the meaning
of texts.

# data[].attributes.body
Being a proficient reader has an impact on a student's entire education. It is important to have structure in learning literacy and in teaching literacy. There are many skills involved in understanding how we learn to read, how they work together,and which parts of the brain are responsible for reading development.

# data[].attributes.body
I agree that the learning of reading needs many connections in the brain and the whole word approach is not where the emphasis should be. Reading instructions should include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and text comprehension.. Too much emphasis has been on whole word memorising

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching letter sound correspondence is essential.
Once children have learnt letter sounds correspondence (which aids comprehension) they then have the tools to self teach and dechiper more words without teachers help to create an additonal pathway from visual letters to meaning.

# data[].attributes.body
Learning to read begins at recognising visiuals and moves to storing the visual shape of letters into the 'leter box' as people begin to recognise letters. I find it interestng that this area of the brain then moves to the right side of the brain.

The pathway that follows in the brain when reading shows the signicance of 'word meaning' and 'pronouciation'. This makes it so clear to me how important spoken language is to reading in both pronoucing sounds and having a conversation to know the meaning of made words. I think our new initialit program is going to support and guide our junior school and boost them right forward.

# data[].attributes.body
The research highlights the need for explicit phonics instruction

# data[].attributes.body
Children with a more developed spoken language (vocabulary) will learn to read faster. This highlights the need for an emphasis on oral language in early years education and early identification of language developmental milestones

# data[].attributes.body
The brain architecture for reading:
* recognising letters and how they combine into written words.
* connecting them to brain areas for speech sounds and meaning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ben: Study of Infants and Children’s Brains / Brain Science

# data[].attributes.subject
Ben: Study of Infants and Children’s Brains / Brain Science

# data[].attributes.body
The networks that relate to spoken word and reading already exist. They are connected when the ‘letterbox’ develops.

Words and faces compete for space in the brain… the faces area moves hemispheres as the learners reading ability develops
(Interesting when reading nccd reports - visual recognition impaired, this is the science that shows us that they will struggle to read)

While word reading is a myth: we as adults are just working through the phonetics extremely quickly
Connecting: Sounds - letters - meaning, the brain can bypass letters and fast track to meaning.

# data[].attributes.body
If a child's vocabulary is high at an early age, they will learn to read faster.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading in all cultures relies on the same brain mechanisms

# data[].attributes.body
There is incredible value in taking an inter-disciplinary approach to education. Our brains are highly complex and the interaction between different mechanisms and learning is fascinating. There is so much opportunity to innovate and improve our teaching practices through acquiring more knowledge surrounding the science of learning.

# data[].attributes.body
When children have difficulties with mirror reading and writing it is often misinterpreted as a sign of dyslexia. However, Neuroscientists studying the symmetry mechanism in the brain have discovered a fascinating insight that shows that this is actually a universal difficulty for all children. The symmetry mechanism helps us recognise faces and objects regardless of their orientation, interestingly it coincides in the same region of the brain that we use to learn to read. This symmetry generalisation is actually unlearned when we learn to read.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading requires specialising the visual system for shapes of letters and connecting them to speech sounds. Importance of teaching letter-sound correspondences is essential.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading requires specialising the visual system for the shape of the letters and connecting them to speech sounds.

# data[].attributes.body
The area of the brain in which we which we learn to read is also the area that helps us to recognise symmetry or mirror images

# data[].attributes.body
I strongly agree with his findings that cursive writing adds another circuit in the brain to do with recognising the gestures of writing and thus helps children to learn to read.

# data[].attributes.body
Great visuals which helped cement the knowledge in my mind.

# data[].attributes.body
Cursive writing helps in creating the circuits in the brain. Do we need more focus on handwriting?

# data[].attributes.body
Reading starts in the area of the brain that is responsible for recognising letters, then moves to the areas concerned with meaning and pronunciation. These latter two areas are already developed because children know how to speak and listen, so the task of learning to read involves connecting up the visual system to the language system.

# data[].attributes.body
Reading requires connecting what we see (the shape of letters), to what we know about speech sounds. I found it interesting how he said this is the same for all languages (even Chinese).

Therefore in our context teaching letter-sound correspondence is the most effective way to approach reading and comprehension. Once children are able to do this and are explicitly taught this they can self-teach.

# data[].attributes.body
Professor Dehaene says, "whole-word reading is a myth". The brain processes every single letter and does not look at the whole word shape.Teaching letter to sound correspondence is therefore essential. It is the fastest way to acquire reading and comprehension.

# data[].attributes.body
The professor talks about how learning to read is largely the capacity to attend  to the individual phonemes of speech and then assigning these to different letters. I think this further reiterates the importance of explicitly teaching phonemes and constantly reviewing and consolidating this- no matter what year.

# data[].attributes.body
The research that Jen,Kate and Tracey have undertaken behind the Science of Reading is wonderful. The implemetation of the initiaLit program is evidenced based and a great development for St B's early Literacy program that will develop strong foundations moving forward.

# data[].attributes.body
Research has proven that teaching letter-sound correspondences is the fastest way to acquire reading and comprehension skills. Then, once these skills are learnt, children are able to self-teach and read - giving them a sense of independence and control over their learning!

# data[].attributes.body
The professor spoke about the importance of sleep for children, especially those with attention deficit disorders. Sleep is proven to minimise the effects of these deficits, thus helping children connect meaning, letters and sounds (learning to read)

# data[].attributes.body
Adults can still learn to read!
One day I will learn to read my doctor's messy handwriting :)

# data[].attributes.body
Our brain is able to recognise images from whatever angle they are presented in (even mirrored images) and this part of the brain coincides with learning to read. This is why children write letters backwards - perceptual confusion. Answers some questions I had!

# data[].attributes.body
Spoken language and written language share parts of the brain. Reading is essentially building a connection between vision and language. This already begins at a young age.

# data[].attributes.body
I love the notion of utilizing number games to help special needs children cope and develop a greater sense of arithmetic and we have the same number concepts as primates for mathematics.

# data[].attributes.body
As children develop with reading the visual stimulations move to the right side of the brain. The brain is still concentrating on single letter sounds.

# data[].attributes.body
I loved the imagery and neuroscience behind the Letter- sounds- meaning and the plasticity of the brain to develop these three parts of the brain to complement each other and allow reading to occur.

# data[].attributes.body
For many years I have heard the arguments around phonics based reading or whole word reading. My experience has always been that we must teach phonics first or gaps will be everywhere later. This research backs up this gut feel.

# data[].attributes.body
Adults have the illusion of whole word reading. The brain still processes every single letter. It does not look at the whole word shape. Whole word reading is a myth. Letter sound correspondence is essential

# data[].attributes.body
Cursive writing adds another circuit to the brain for recognising the gestures of writing -helps children learn to read

# data[].attributes.body
The region that we use to read coincides with the brain area which has the most mirror invariance for pictures-mirror writing is a universal difficulty due to an old system in the brain, children need to unlearn it

# data[].attributes.body
Jen
The predictors of good reading acquisition include high phonics instruction and oral language exposure.

# data[].attributes.body
Jen
Phonics is superior to whole-word training.

# data[].attributes.body
Jen
Loved the explanations of how literacy acquisition changes the brain. Mirror writing example was excellent > when the symmetry mechanism in the back of the brain (an old function) (helps to recognise faces and objects regardless of orientation) is impacted/moved as reading develops in a child because it's in the same area as the 'Brain's Letterbox', causing mirror writing.