Reading proficiency is fundamental to school and subsequent career success, yet national statistics show that only about one-third of US fourth graders are proficient readers. Very little is known about how learning to read is reflected in brain changes. The goal of this project is to investigate how a reading intervention results in changes in brain activity associated with recognizing words, recognizing sound-letter correspondences, and memory for auditory information. This will provide important insights into how reading skills are acquired and what types of interventions might be most effective for those who are having difficulty learning to read.
The project uses a pre-post design to investigate plasticity of neural systems involved in lexical processing, phonological processing, and working memory components of reading. The study uses both behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) measures to investigate how an established reading intervention changes specific neural systems in 8- and 9-year-old children who are struggling readers. Brain waves will be recorded before and after the intervention to explore the plasticity of (1) the lexical processing system, addressing whether the intervention sharpens the neural response to words (e.g., bed) as compared to non-words (e.g., dbe); (2) the phonological processing system, addressing whether the intervention changes the neural response to rhyming information; and (3) the working memory system, addressing whether the intervention alters the timing or amount of resources used to remember sounds. Scores on a battery of standardized tests of reading and reading-related skills will document behavioral changes that occur with intervention. Overall, this project will advance understanding of the specific neural changes resulting from the intervention and improved reading abilities. A key impact of this project is the opportunity to increase the chance of educational success for struggling readers.
