The brain isn’t hardwired to read – here’s how we pull it off and why some are better at it than others

BLUF

Reading relies on brain systems evolved for auditory, visual and language processing. Research suggests inherited traits and experience shape reading ability, while the brain can develop alternative pathways for people with dyslexia, deafness or blindness.

Learning Outcomes 

• Explain how the brain learns to read by using pre-existing auditory, visual and language-processing systems rather than a dedicated reading centre.
• Describe the influence of genetics and experience on reading ability, including how inherited brain structures and literacy practice contribute to the development of reading skills.
• Compare different pathways to literacy by examining how individuals with dyslexia, deafness or blindness can develop alternative neural strategies to read and access meaning.