from reading mechanics to understanding

Reading is biologically determined, just like speech. This is the result of a complex learning process. The first signs of language may have appeared in Homo Erectus about 1.9 million years ago. On the other hand, the first writings date back to approximately 4000 years before Jesus Christ.

The brain has had nearly two million years to develop a neural network specialized for speech production and understanding, but only a few thousand years to develop a neural network for reading. Therefore, reading depends on the parallel implementation of different neural networks involved in different cognitive functions. Let’s see how this is done.

Two cognitive functions: language and the visual system.

The two cognitive functions that come together when reading are especially important. We are talking about language and the visual system associated with the perception of shapes. As for language, at birth our brain is already ready to process any sound associated with human speech. And after a few months of life, he specializes in those sounds that are most characteristic of him. Then a very difficult learning process begins.

At 5-6 years old, this process ends with a detailed understanding of how the language sounds (phonology), a large vocabulary, mastery of basic grammatical structures and ways of conveying meaning.

At the same time, the visual system develops, specializing in the perception of complex shapes, such as letters in different formats. This makes the period of 5-6 years especially sensitive for learning to read. This is key to early identification of reading difficulties.

From recognizing letters to reading words and phrases.

Reading is a process in which certain signs are assigned a sound and a designation (i.e. their name: the letter “be”, the sign “b”, the sound /b/). Together they express meaning. Identification of these characters can be done in isolation, alone (e.g. /l/, /a/) or in combination with each other (e.g. /la/).

The onset of learning to read usually begins at age 3 in preschool education. They are taught to recognize letters individually, by sound and by name. The process is gradually being automated. Thus, identification is accomplished by comparing spellings with their memory representation. By the end of preschool, many children already have good reading skills. They are able to read single words or even short sentences with good comprehension of what they read.

What processes are involved in the mechanics of reading?

Initially, each letter read represents one sound. They must match the form of the written letter with the learned form, which initially has only one, for example, capital. Gradually, the identification process is expanded for different font typologies.

With practice, reading gradually becomes smoother and more accurate. The student manages to identify words as a whole; that is, the entire word “hello” at a glance, without having to spell it out: /h/-/o/-/l/-/a/).

When this happens, the brain frees up attention, memory and perception resources. And then these resources are directed to reading comprehension, to interpreting and giving meaning to what is read.

All the vocabulary a child accumulates during language development and the way it is used is the basis of reading comprehension. Thus, when reading words, phrases, and texts, this information is linked with information already stored in areas of language comprehension (oral) to make meaning of what is read.

From reading to reading to learn

The fact that learning to read is such a complex process forces us to think about how to assess whether it is happening normally or whether there are some difficulties. This is a very important fact because although the process begins with learning to read, it ends with reading to learn.

In this sense, early detection is key in identifying whether there are difficulties in this process. There are now tools sensitive enough to detect them in preschool and primary education classrooms.

For example, the applications Grapho-Game, Dytective or Neurekalab. These scientifically validated apps measure phonological awareness, reading mechanics and comprehension, and verbal memory. They rank students based on reading speed and accuracy, reading comprehension, ability to recognize and manipulate phonemes, and verbal memory capacity. If you find that learning is slower than expected, first steps can be taken to make learning to read easier.