1. hobbies and interests
2. reading

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
c
EDUCATION 50
d
THE READING BRAIN: EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Spring Term 2013
Period 9L
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, 8:45-9:50 am
X-period: Thursdays, *8:45-9:50 am
Moore 202
Donna Coch
603.646.3282
Donna.Coch@Dartmouth.edu
203 Raven House
Office Hours: by appointment
There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
Emily Dickinson
And so to completely analyze what we do when we read would almost be the acme
of a psychologist’s achievements, for it would be to describe very many of the most
intricate workings of the human mind, as well as to unravel the tangled story of the
most remarkable specific performance that civilization has learned in all its history.
Huey, E. B. (1908/1968). The psychology
and pedagogy of reading (p. 6). Cambridge:
MIT Press.
c Course Description
Most children entering first grade do not know how to read; most children leaving first grade do know
how to read, at least at a basic level. Further development of reading skills continues throughout the
school years. What is involved in the amazing development of the ability to make meaning of marks on a
page? What goes on in the brain during reading and learning to read? What might be happening (or not
happening) in the behaviors and brains of children who have difficulty learning how to read? In this
course, we will explore answers to all of these questions and more. The course is designed as an
introduction to reading – from orthography and phonology to semantics, syntax, and comprehension –
from the multiple perspectives of education, neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology.
c Goals and Objectives
For each student, the goals of the course are to (1) appreciate the astonishing complexity of the ability to
read text; (2) be able to identify and understand the multiple skills and systems involved in reading at the
behavioral and neural levels; (3) recognize the components critical to learning to read and building a
reading brain; (4) understand how evidence from behavioral and brain research might inform the
practice of teaching reading; (5) develop both writing skills and the skills involved in locating, critically
reading, and analyzing research articles; and (6) recognize the relevance of the course material to life
outside of this class.
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 1 of 15
c Required Reading
• Books (&)
Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
(ISBN 0262510766/9780262510769). This book is available at Wheelock Books (list price:
$36.00; new: $35.00; used: $7.95).
Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers (2nd Ed.). Baltimore, MD: Paul H.
Brookes. (ISBN 978-1-59857-050-2). This book is available at Wheelock Books (list price:
$37.95; new: $37.50; used: $31.50).
• Articles (® and )
All readings for the course are available on-line, at the address provided in the Syllabus (a link
can also be found on the Blackboard site), through the Dartmouth Digital Library (designated
), or through Electronic Course Reserves (designated ®, linked to through the Blackboard
site).
• All readings listed are required reading for the course unless designated [optional reading].
c General Requirements
• All students are expected to read the material indicated in the Schedule and Reading List by Class below
before each class and be prepared to discuss that material in class.
• All students are expected to attend class regularly (including x-periods), on time, and each student is
responsible for all material presented and discussed in every class. If you must miss a class, it is your
responsibility to borrow the notes from another student, acquire any materials that were handed
out, and learn if changes have been made to the syllabus.
• Each student may have two excused absences from class. An absence is excused if a note or e-mail from
a doctor, coach, or other College official is provided in a timely manner. All other absences (but
see next item) are considered unexcused and will negatively affect the portion of the grade related
to attendance and class participation.
• I recognize that some students may wish to take part in religious observances that fall during this
academic term. Should you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the
course, please speak with me within the first week of the term to discuss appropriate
accommodations.
• All students are expected to hand in the assignments outlined below at the beginning of class on the
dates specified below and in the Schedule. No extensions of deadlines will be granted without a
dean’s letter or other similarly documented excuse. Any late assignments will be accepted only at
my discretion, with a loss of at least 2 points.
• All students are expected to uphold all aspects of the Academic Honor Principle (refer to
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~uja/honor). Your work should be your own and should be prepared
specifically for this class. Whenever you make use of outside sources for findings, facts, language, or
ideas (including web sites, books, articles, roommates, etc.) you must acknowledge them in formal
APA citations (see below for information on APA style). Failure to do so constitutes plagiarism, a
serious academic offense that typically involves suspension from the College for a number of terms.
• Students with disabilities enrolled in this course who may need disability-related academic adjustments
and services are encouraged to see me privately as early as possible in the term. Students requiring
disability-related accommodations must consult the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) office.
Once SAS has authorized services, please show me the originally signed SAS Services and Consent
Form and/or a letter on SAS letterhead. As a first step, if students have questions about whether
they qualify to receive academic adjustments and services, they should contact the SAS office. All
inquiries and discussions will remain confidential.
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 2 of 15
c Assignments
Four (4) papers are due throughout the term, as indicated in the Schedule below. Paper 1 is due at the
beginning of class on Monday 15 April and should reflect material covered in the Introduction, Prereaders, Orthography, or Morphology classes and readings. Paper 2 is due on Monday 29 April and
should reflect material covered in the Phonology, Semantics, Syntax, or Context classes and readings.
Paper 3 is due on Friday 10 May and should reflect material covered in the Fluency, Comprehension, or
Teaching Reading classes and readings. Paper 4 is due on Friday 24 May and should reflect material
covered in the SLI, Dyslexia, or Struggling Adolescent Readers classes and readings.
Each paper is on a topic of your choice, based on the readings and classes from the preceding weeks.
What was the most interesting part of the readings or classes? What part did you completely disagree
with and why? What part surprised you? What part do you want to know more about? In short, what part
really resonated with you and made you think? Choose one specific aspect of the materials covered in
class or in readings to write about. Once you have chosen what to write about, find two (2) research
articles (not mentioned at length in class or in readings, published in peer-reviewed journals) relevant to
your topic and critically incorporate information from those articles into your paper. Each paper is an
opportunity for you to do further research on a specific topic of most interest to you.
There are a number of ways to locate research articles for your papers. Dartmouth has an impressive
Digital Library (http://library.dartmouth.edu) that makes locating articles easy and is more reliable than
a general search engine like Google or Google Scholar. Through the Library, you can access relevant
databases such as Medline, PsycInfo, ERIC, or EBSCO Academic Search Premier. By conducting a
subject or keyword search within these databases, you can find articles related to your topic of choice.
Articles should be empirical, primary source research articles (not commentaries or opinion pieces,
research reviews, or meta-analyses) and should be published in peer-reviewed journals.
• Each paper should be typed in a conventional 12-point font (like Times) and double-spaced, with one
inch margins on all sides (note that this is not the default for Word; you will need to change the
margin settings). Each paper should be about 4 to 5 pages in length (not including references) and
all pages should be numbered and stapled together. Double-sided printing is acceptable.
• In-text citations should be in APA style and a reference list in APA style should be included (the
reference list is not included in the page count). For details about APA style, refer to the APA Style
Summary Sheet for the course (available on the Blackboard site) or directly to The Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010).
• A copy of the first page, including abstract, of any referenced article should be turned in with the
paper. Please turn in the first page of the actual article, not the results of a database search. When
you make reference to course materials, you do not need to include a copy of the first page of any
article or chapter included in the reading list for the course.
• Papers will be graded based on content (engagement with the material, demonstrated understanding
of the material, appropriate use of research materials, etc.) and style (spelling, grammar,
organization, etc.). Please proofread your assignments carefully for spelling and mechanical errors
as well as fluency before turning them in. For details about grading for each assignment, refer to
the Grading Criteria document available on the Blackboard site; it may be helpful to refer to this
document as you work on each paper.
• Papers are due at the beginning of class – before lecture or activities begin – on each due date. Graded
papers will be returned in class (Paper 4 will be returned at the Final Exam).
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 3 of 15
• For students admitted to or thinking about applying to the Teacher Education Program: Your papers
for this course can be used to address State standards and competencies. Think about writing at
least some of your papers from a classroom- or practice-based perspective. Remember to save your
work from this course for later use in EDUC 41/45 or 42/46 as you develop your portfolios.
• For students who are or are thinking about being Neuroscience majors: In order for this course to
count as an elective for the major, your papers must have a neuroscience focus; note that this does
not necessarily mean that your papers cannot also have a behavioral or educational focus, but that
you must consistently and meaningfully engage with the neuroscience aspect in order for the
course to count towards your Neuroscience major.
• If you are finding the papers difficult or frustrating in some way, please talk with me before or after
class or in a separate appointment. It is very likely that we will be able to find strategies that will
make the papers a more enjoyable learning experience for you.
c Optional Observation Opportunity
• The Stern Center for Language and Learning (www.sterncenter.org), a local non-profit agency that
evaluates students struggling with reading and offers individualized instruction, has agreed to allow
students from this class to observe an evaluation or intervention session. You may use your
observation as the basis for one of your papers.
• This is an option that I encourage you to take advantage of, especially if you are considering the TEP.
Please talk with me if you are interested in visiting the Stern Center in West Lebanon.
c Blackboard (https://blackboard.dartmouth.edu)
• Numerous class resources can be found on the Blackboard site for the course, including a copy of the
Syllabus, the APA Style Summary Sheet, the Paper Grading Criteria summary sheet, and direct
links to Electronic Course Reserves and readings on the web outside of the Digital Library.
• Lecture outlines for each topic will be posted on the site prior to the beginning of each unit. The
outlines may be printed and brought to class, and may be helpful for organizing your notes.
c Quizzes and Final Exam
• There will be a number of unannounced quizzes throughout the term, with short questions based on
the assigned readings for that day. It may be helpful to read the research articles with the following
questions in mind: What was the authors’ question and why was it important? What did the
authors do to answer their question? What did the authors find and why was it important? Always
read the assigned materials for the main ideas. There are no ‘make ups’ for missed quizzes.
• There will be a cumulative final exam consisting of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and
essay questions. You may refer to handwritten notes on one side of one sheet of standard 8½ x 11
inch paper during the exam; these notes must be handed in with the exam. The final exam will be
given during exam period, Sunday 02 June at 8:00 am, and, in accordance with College
regulations, cannot be taken at any other time.
c Course Grade
Grades for the course are based on class attendance and participation (10%), grades on each of the four
papers due throughout the term (15% each), grades on the quizzes (15%), and the grade on the final
exam (15%). Grading is consistent with the ORC description of scholarship ratings
(http://www.dartmouth.edu/~reg/transcript/grade_descriptions.html).
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 4 of 15
SCHEDULE§
TOPIC
WHAT TO READ†
Introduction to the Course
Introduction: Reading and Language
Introduction: Brain and Methodology
Syllabus, Bean
Moats (1)
Byrnes
Introduction: Brain and Methodology
Pre-readers
Pre-readers
Gazzaniga
Adams (4, 13), Treiman
Arnold, Lonigan, O’Neil, NRC
Orthography
Orthography
Morphology
Adams (6), Cassar, Grainger
Stein, McCandliss, Dehaene
Moats (5), Bryant, Carlisle, McKinnon
Phonology
Phonology
Semantics
Moats (2), Anthony, Bryant, Stainthorp
Adams (8, 12), Castro-Caldas, Frith
Adams (7), Moats (7), Carnine
Semantics
Syntax
Context
Cunningham, Booth, Kutas
Moats (6), Friederici, Fang
Adams (7), Stanovich, Nieuwland
Fluency
Comprehension
Teaching Reading: Theories
Kuhn, Wolf, Rasinski, Misra
Pressley, Pardo, Hulme, Rapp, Maguire
Adams (2, 15), Stahl, Goodman, Pressley
Teaching Reading: Beyond Nuts and
Bolts
Teaching Reading: Discussion
Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Schirmer, McTigue, Connor, Goldenberg,
Cummins
Moats (3), Dickinson, Walsh, Stahl
Leonard, Rice
Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
Dyslexia
Dyslexia
Tallal, Gillam, Pokorni, Strong
Mather & Goldstein, Fink, Vellutino
Eden, Gabrieli, Wolf, Wallace, Shaywitz
20 May
22 May
Dyslexia
Struggling Adolescent Readers
24 May
Putting it all Together: Plasticity
Shaywitz, Editorial, Sherman, Hoeft
Lenz, McClanahan, Greene, Moats, Cantrell,
Rezaie, NIFL
[in-class video]
Paper 4
No class: Memorial Day
Summary and Review
NRC, Kirby, Spear-Swerling, Schlaggar
Question
DATE
WHAT’S DUE
Week One
25 March
27 March
29 March
Week Two
01 April
03 April
05 April
Week Three
08 April
10 April
12 April
Week Four
15 April
17 April
19 April
Paper 1
Week Five
22 April
24 April
26 April
Week Six
29 April
01 May
03 May
Paper 2
Week Seven
06 May
08 May
10 May
Paper 3
Week Eight
13 May
15 May
17 May
Week Nine
Week Ten
27 May
29 May
Finals Week
31 May - 4
June
Final Exam: Sunday, 02 June, 8:00 am
§
note that the Schedule is subject to change
†
see detailed list below
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 5 of 15
READING LIST BY CLASS
& designates readings from required books (Adams, Moats)
® designates readings on Electronic Course Reserves (linked through Blackboard site)
 designates readings available on-line through the Dartmouth Digital Library or at the address
provided
Week One__________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 25 March – Introduction to the Course
An overview of the course content, structure, and requirements. Please read the Syllabus carefully.
® Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging ideas: the professor’s guide to integrating writing, critical thinking, and active
learning in the classroom. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass. Excerpt from Chapter 9: Helping students
read difficult texts (pp. 161-166).
Wednesday, 27 March – Introduction: Reading and Language
There is a direct and critical connection between language and reading. This chapter outlines why it is
necessary to study language in order to understand reading, one of the themes of the course.
& Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chapter 1: Why study language? (pp. 1-23).
Friday, 29 March – Introduction: The Brain and Methodology
In order to talk about what happens in the brain when children and adults are reading, we need to
become familiar with some brain basics. This chapter serves as an introduction to basic neuroanatomy,
brain function, and methods for studying the brain and includes arguments for and against the relevance
of brain research to education.
® Byrnes, J. P. (2001). Minds, brains, and learning: understanding the psychological and educational relevance of
neuroscientific research. New York: Guilford Press. Chapter 1: Introduction (pp. 1-23).
Week Two________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 01 April – Introduction: The Brain and Methodology
Continued introduction to basic neuroanatomy, brain function, and methods for studying the brain.
NB: This chapter is quite dense; skim it for the main ideas using Byrnes as background and plan to use it
as a resource and reference throughout the course (i.e., you do not need to memorize the contents of this
chapter – just be familiar with what it offers).
® Gazzaniga, M. S., Ivry, R. B., & Mangun, G. R. (2002). Cognitive neuroscience: the biology of the mind (2nd
ed.). New York: W.W. Norton. Chapter 3: Gross and functional anatomy of cognition (pp. 6295).
Wednesday, 03 April – Pre-readers
In many ways, knowledge about speech and print in pre-readers serves as a foundation for the later
development of reading skills. These readings provide an overview of some of the important language
and reading experiences that some children have before they even begin school.
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 6 of 15
& Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Chapters 4: Research on prereaders (pp. 55-91) and 13: Learning about print: the first steps (pp.
333-374).
 Treiman, R. (2000). The foundations of literacy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9(3), 89-92.
doi:10.1111/1467-8721.00067
Friday, 05 April – Pre-readers
Continued discussion of important pre-reading skills, with more specifics about development in typical
and at-risk children.
 Arnold, D.H., Lonigan, C.J., Whitehurst, G.J., & Epstein, J.N. (1994). Accelerating language
development through picture book reading: replication and extension to a videotape training
format. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(2), 235-243. doi:10.1037//0022-0663.86.2.235
® Lonigan, C. J. (2003). Development and promotion of emergent literacy skills in children at-risk of
reading difficulties. In B. R. Foorman (Ed.), Preventing and remediating reading difficulties: bringing
science to scale (pp. 23-50). Timonium, MD: York Press.
 O’Neil, J. (2006, 4 October). Early repairs in foundation for reading. New York Times, p. B7.
 National Research Council (1998). Chapter 4: Predictors of success and failure in reading. In C. E.
Snow, M. S. Burns, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Preventing reading difficulties in young children (pp. 100-133).
Washington, DC: National Academy Press. This chapter is available at the following address:
http://books.nap.edu/html/prdyc/ch4.html
Week Three_______________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 08 April – Orthography
Orthography involves the visual look of a word – from single letters to patterns of letters to the whole
word. As would be expected, the visual system is heavily involved in the reading process. Readings for
today review how orthographic processing plays a role in reading and how orthographic rules influence
knowledge about how to spell words, even in young spellers and readers.
& Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Chapter 6: Analyzing the reading process: orthographic processing (pp. 107-135).
 Cassar, M., & Treiman, R. (1997). The beginnings of orthographic knowledge: children’s knowledge
of double letters in words. Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(4), 631-644. doi:10.1037//00220663.89.4.631
 Grainger, J., & Whitney, C. (2004). Does the huamn mnid raed wrods as a wlohe? Trends in Cognitive
Sciences, 8(2), 58-59. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2003.11.006
Wednesday, 10 April – Orthography
Continued discussion of how regions and systems in the brain that are involved in visual processing are
also involved in the process of reading and a review of evidence from poor readers (children and adults
with dyslexia) implicating various visual deficits in at least one subtype of poor reading.
® Stein, J. (2001). The neurobiology of reading difficulties. In M. Wolf (Ed.), Dyslexia, fluency, and the
brain (pp. 3-21). Timonium, MD: York Press.
 McCandliss, B. D., Cohen, L., & Dehaene, S. (2003). The visual word form area: expertise for
reading in the fusiform gyrus. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(7), 293-299. doi:10.1016/S13646613(03)00134-7
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 7 of 15
 Dehaene, S., Pegado, F., Braga, L. W., Ventura, P., Filho, G. N., et al. (2010). How learning to read
changes the cortical networks for vision and language. Science, 330, 1359-1364. doi:
10.1126/science.1194140
Friday, 12 April – Morphology
A review of evidence on the role of morphological knowledge in reading and learning to read. Are little
bits of language – morphemes like -ed or -ing or pre- – important to reading? Is there any evidence for a
neural morphological system? NB: This is quite a bit of reading; you may skim Carlisle (2003) for the
main ideas.
& Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chapter 5: Morphology (pp. 117-152).
 Bryant, P., Nunes, T., & Snaith, R. (2000). Children learn an untaught rule of spelling. Nature, 403,
157-158. doi:10.1038/35003114
 Carlisle, J. F. (2003). Morphology matters in learning to read: a commentary. Reading Psychology, 24,
291-322. doi:10.1080/02702710390227369
 McKinnon, R., Allen, M., & Osterhout, L. (2003). Morphological decomposition involving nonproductive morphemes: ERP evidence. NeuroReport, 14(6), 883-886. doi:10.1097/00001756200305060-00022
 Pinker, S., & Ullman, M. T. (2002). The past and future of past tense. Trends in Cognitive Sciences,
6(11), 456-463. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(02)01990-3 [this article is optional reading, but I
encourage you to read it as it summarizes a classic debate]
Week Four________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 15 April – Phonology
PAPER 1 DUE TODAY
The auditory system is also involved in reading. Put another way, the sounds of language are related to
reading. Moats reviews how phonemes are classified and categorized and Bryant et al. investigate the role
of phonology in learning to read. Anthony and Francis review the critical concept of phonological
awareness from a developmental perspective. NB: You do not need to memorize the phonetic alphabet
for purposes of this course.
& Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chapter 2: Phonetics (pp. 25-46).
 Anthony, J. L., & Francis, D. J. (2005). Development of phonological awareness. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 14(5), 255-259. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00376.x
® Bryant, P., MacLean, M., & Bradley, L. (1990). Rhyme, language, and children’s reading. Applied
Psycholinguistics, 11, 237-252. doi:10.1017/S0142716400008870
 Stainthorp, R. (2003, March). Use it or lose it. Literacy Today, 34, 16-17.
Wednesday, 17 April – Phonology
Continued discussion of the role of phonology in reading, with a closer look at phonological processing
in the brain; remember to read for the main idea.
& Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Chapters 8: Adding the phonological processor: how the whole system works together (pp. 157191) and 12: Phonological prerequisites: becoming aware of spoken words, syllables, and
phonemes (pp. 293-308 only).
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 8 of 15
 Castro-Caldas, A., Petersson, K. M., Reis, A., Stone-Elander, S., & Ingvar, M. (1998). The illiterate
brain: Learning to read and write during childhood influences the functional organization of the
adult brain. Brain, 121, 1053-1063. doi:10.1093/brain/121.6.1053
 Frith, U. (1998). Literally changing the brain. Brain, 121, 1011-1012. doi:10.1093/brain/121.6.1011
Friday, 19 April – Semantics
Reading is not only a process of decoding – the crux of single-word reading is making meaning of the
marks on the page. What do we know about how word meanings are organized and used in reading, and
how best to teach and learn new words? NB: This is quite a bit of reading, but all of it is accessible;
remember to read primarily for the main ideas. Also, in the Adams chapter, focus on the parts about
meaning (we will come back to the rest later).
& Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Chapter 7: Analyzing the reading process: use and uses of meaning (pp. 137-156).
& Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chapter 7: Semantics (pp. 175-197).
® Carnine, D. W., Silbert, J., Kame’enui, E. J., & Tarver, S. G. (2004). Direct reading instruction (4th ed.).
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall. Chapter 20: Vocabulary instruction (pp.
204-219).
Week Five__________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 22 April – Semantics
A continued discussion of vocabulary knowledge, word meanings, and semantic systems in the brain.
 Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1998, Spring/Summer). What reading does for the mind.
American Educator, 22(1&2), 1-8. This article is available on-line at http://www.aft.org/pubsreports/american_educator/issues/spring-summer98/index.htm (scroll down until you find
Spring/Summer 1998, Vol. 22, Nos. 1 & 2, click on this link, then click on the article title)
 Booth, J. R., Burman, D. D., Meyer, J. R., Gitelman, D. R., Parrish, T. B., & Mesulam, M. M. (2002).
Modality independence of word comprehension. Human Brain Mapping, 16, 251-261.
doi:10.1002/hbm.10054
 Kutas, M., & Hillyard, S. A. (1980). Reading senseless sentences: brain potentials reflect semantic
incongruity. Science, 207(4427), 203-205. doi:10.1126/science.7350657
 Seidenberg, M. S. (2005). Connectionist models of word reading. Current Directions in Psychological
Science, 14(5), 238-242. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00372.x [optional reading – for those of
you who would like a computational model or framework to fit the pieces together]
 Mitchell, T. M., Shinkareva, S. V., Carlson, A., Chang, K.-M., Malave, V. L., Mason, R. A., Just, M.
A. (2008). Predicting human brain activity associated with the meanings of nouns. Science, 320,
1191-1195. doi:10.1126/science.1152876 [optional reading – computational and pretty neat]
Wednesday, 24 April – Syntax
Words are organized into phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and texts. We will discuss syntactic processing
in terms of the rules governing how words can be combined; the increasing syntactic complexity of
speech and text with development; and how, when, and where syntactic information might be processed
in the brain.
& Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chapter 6: Syntax (pp. 153-174).
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 9 of 15
 Friederici, A. D. (2002). Towards a neural basis of auditory sentence processing. Trends in Cognitive
Sciences, 6(2), 78-84. doi:10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01839-8
 Fang, Z. (2008). Going beyond the fab five: helping students cope with the unique linguistic
challenges of expository reading in intermediate grades. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy,
51(6), 476-487. doi:10.1598/JAAL.51.6.4
Friday, 26 April – Context
Readers rarely read single, isolated words; instead, words typically appear on a page with other print and
images. We will discuss the role of context in reading and how contextual influence might change over
developmental time. NB: Read the Stanovich review article primarily for the information on context, but
keep the rest in mind for our discussion session. The Nieuwland and Van Berkum article is dense but
fun – read for the main idea.
& Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Chapter 7: Analyzing the reading process: use and uses of meaning (pp. 137-156 – re-read
portion on context).
 Stanovich, K. E. (1993/1994). Romance and reality. The Reading Teacher, 47(4), 280-291.
 Nieuwland, M. S., & Van Berkum, J. J. A. (2006). When peanuts fall in love: N400 evidence for the
power of discourse. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18(7), 1098-1111.
doi:10.1162/jocn.2006.18.7.1098
Week Six__________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 29 April – Fluency
PAPER 2 DUE TODAY
The concept of fluency in reading encompasses the idea of fast, automatic, effortless processing of words
and texts. Fluency is critical to becoming a skilled reader, yet there is very little research on exactly what
fluency is and how best to develop it. Readings for today introduce the concept of fluency and what little
we know about fluency in the brain. NB: This is quite a bit of reading; read the research articles for the
main ideas.
 Kuhn, M.R., Schwanenflugel, P.J., & Meisinger, E.B. (2010). Aligning theory and assessment of
reading fluency: automaticity, prosody, and definitions of fluency. Reading Research Quarterly,
45(2), 230-251. doi:10.1598/RRQ.45.2.4
 Wolf, M., & Katzir-Cohen, T. (2001). Reading fluency and its intervention. Scientific Studies of
Reading, 5(3), 211-239. doi:10.1207/S1532799XSSR0503_2
 Rasinski, T. (2004). Creating fluent readers. Educational Leadership, 61(6), 46-51.
 Misra, M., Katzir, T., Wolf, M., & Poldrack, R. A. (2004). Neural systems for rapid automatized
naming in skilled readers: unraveling the RAN-reading relationship. Scientific Studies of Reading,
8(3), 241-256. doi:10.1207/s1532799xssr0803_4
Wednesday, 01 May – Comprehension
Finally (!) we arrive at the true goal of reading: comprehension. Comprehension involves connecting
what you are reading to what you already know and increasing your knowledge at the same time. How
does comprehension interact with all the other reading components that we have learned about? What
do we know about the comprehending brain?
® Pressley, M. (1998). Reading instruction that works: the case for balanced teaching. New York: Guilford
Press. Chapter 7: The development of literacy, part 4: The need for increased comprehension
instruction in upper-elementary grades (pp. 192-227).
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 10 of 15
 Pardo, L. S. (2004). What every teacher needs to know about comprehension. The Reading Teacher,
58(3), 272-280.
 Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. J. (2011). Children’s reading comprehension difficulties: nature, causes,
and treatments. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 139-142. doi:
10.1177/0963721411408673
 Rapp, D. N., & van den Broek, P. (2005). Dynamic text comprehension: An integrative view of
reading. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(5), 276-279. doi:10.1111/j.09637214.2005.00380.x
 Maguire, E. A., Frith, C. D., & Morris, R. G. M. (1999). The functional neuroanatomy of
comprehension and memory: the importance of prior knowledge. Brain, 122(10), 1839-1850.
doi:10.1093/brain/122.10.1839
Friday, 03 May – Teaching Reading: Theories
There are two overarching approaches to teaching reading: one is typically referred to as phonics and the
other is typically referred to as whole language. What do these two approaches entail? How are these
approaches related to what we have learned in this class? Are the two approaches so different that some
integration cannot be accomplished, and would there be advantages to such a ‘balanced’ approach?
& Adams, M. J. (1994). Beginning to read: thinking and learning about print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Chapters 2: Reading words and meaning: from an age-old problem to a contemporary crisis (pp.
13-28) and 15: The proper place of phonics (pp. 409-424).
 Stahl, S. A. (1992). Saying the ‘p’ word: Nine guidelines for exemplary phonics instruction. The
Reading Teacher, 45(8), 618-625.
® Goodman, K. S., & Goodman, Y. M. (1979). Learning to read is natural. In L. B. Resnick & P. A.
Weaver (Eds.), Theory and practice of early reading (Vol. 1, pp. 137-154). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
® Pressley, M. (1998). Reading instruction that works: the case for balanced teaching. New York: Guilford
Press. Chapter 1: Whole language (pp. 10-41).
Week Seven_________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 06 May – Teaching Reading: Beyond Nuts and Bolts
Throughout the course, we have seen how both the brain and behavioral skills change as children learn
how to (are taught how to) read. But there is more to teaching and learning reading than developing and
integrating the specific systems that we have discussed; that development is happening in a much wider
context, in which things like interest and motivation, socio-emotional wellbeing, individualized
instruction, second languages, and socio-economic status all play a role. NB: This is quite a bit of
reading, but it is not difficult reading. Please bring the articles to class as we will have small discussion
groups.
 Schirmer, B. R., & Lockman, A. S. (2001). How do I find a book to read? Middle and high school
students use a rubric for self-selecting material for independent reading. Teaching Exceptional
Children, 34(1), 36-42.
® McTigue, E. M., & Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. (2011). The Responsive Classroom approach and its
implications for improving reading and writing. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 27(1/2), 5-24.
doi:10.1080/10573569.2011.532708
 Connor, C. M., Morrison, F. J., Fishman, B. J., Schatschneider, C., & Underwood, P. (2007).
Algorithm-guided individualized reading instruction. Science, 315, 464-465.
doi:10.1126/science.1134513
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 11 of 15
 Goldenberg, C. (2008, Summer). Teaching English language learners: what the research does – and
does not – say. American Educator, 32(2), 8-23.
 Cummins, J. (2007). Pedagogies for the poor? Realigning reading instruction for low-income students
with scientifically based reading instruction. Educational Researcher, 36(9), 564-572.
doi:10.3102/0013189X07313156
Wednesday, 08 May – Teaching Reading: Discussion
Today we will have a summary discussion about the development of reading skills, the design of reading
programs, and the education of teachers who teach reading (that is, all teachers). What do teachers and
parents need to know about reading and the brain? Why? What are the elements of a good reading
program and how would you design the ideal reading program? Why? Please come to class prepared for a
lively discussion. NB: This is quite a bit of reading, but all of it is accessible.
 Moats, L. C. (1999). Teaching reading is rocket science: What expert teachers of reading should know and be
able to do. Washington, DC: American Federation of Teachers. This report is available at
http://www.aft.org/pdfs/teachers/rocketscience0304.pdf
 Moats, L. C. (2004). Relevance of neuroscience to effective education for students with reading and
other learning disabilities. Journal of Child Neurology, 19(10), 840-845.
 Dickinson, D. K. (2011). Teachers’ language practices and academic outcomes of preschool children.
Science, 333, 964-967. doi: 10.1126/science.1204526
 Walsh, K., Glaser, D., & Wilcox, D. D. (2006). What education schools aren’t teaching about reading –
and what elementary teachers aren’t learning [Executive Summary]. Washington, D.C.: National
Council on Teacher Quality. The executive summary of this report is available on-line at
http://www.nctq.org/p/publications/docs/nctq_reading_study_exec_summ_20071202065444.
pdf
 Stahl, K. A. D. (2011). Applying new visions of reading development in today’s classrooms. The
Reading Teacher, 65(1), 52-56. doi: 10.1598/RT.65.1.7
& Moats, L. C. (2010). Speech to print: language essentials for teachers. Baltimore MD: Paul H. Brookes.
Chapter 8: Language and instruction (pp. 199-222).
® Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2007). The continuum of literacy learning, grades K-8: Behaviors and
understandings to notice, teach, and support. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Chapter: Introduction to
phonics, spelling, and word study (pp. 198-219). [optional]
Friday, 10 May – Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
PAPER 3 DUE TODAY
Some children have difficulty with language even before they begin reading; predictably, many of these
children go on to have difficulty with reading. Here, we begin our discussion about specific language
impairment, a significant precursor to reading disability. Both of the readings serve as an introduction to
SLI.
® Leonard, L. B. (1998). Children with specific language impairment. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chapter
1: Introduction (pp. 3-25).
 Rice, M. L. (1997). Specific language impairments: in search of diagnostic markers and genetic
contributions. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 3, 350-357.
doi:10.1002/(SICI)1098-2779(1997)3:4<350::AID-MRDD10>3.0.CO;2-U
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 12 of 15
Week Eight__________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 13 May – Specific Language Impairment (SLI)
There are numerous approaches to helping children with SLI develop typical language skills, ranging
from traditional sessions with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) to ‘science-based’ computer programs.
These readings concern one such computer program called Fast ForWord®.
 Tallal, P., Miller, S. L., Bedi, G., Byma, G., Wang, X., Nagarajan, S. S., Schreiner, C., Jenkins, W. M.,
& Merzenich, M. M. (1996). Language comprehension in language-learning impaired children
improved with acoustically modified speech. Science, 271(5245), 81-84.
doi:10.1126/science.271.5245.81
 Gillam, R. B. (1999). Computer-assisted language intervention using Fast ForWord®: theoretical and
empirical considerations for clinical decision-making. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in
Schools, 30, 363-370.
 Pokorni, J. L., Worthington, C. K., & Jamison, P. J. (2004). Phonological awareness intervention:
comparison of Fast ForWord, Earobics, and LiPS. Journal of Educational Research, 97(3), 147-157.
doi:10.3200/JOER.97.3.147-158
 Strong, G. K., Torgerson, C. J., Torgerson, D., & Hulme, C. (2011). A systematic meta-analytic review
of evidence for the effectiveness of the ‘Fast ForWord’ language intervention program. Journal of
Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(3), 224-235. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02329.x
Wednesday, 15 May – Dyslexia
Readings for today serve as an introduction to the definition and behavioral characteristics of dyslexia or
specific reading disability.
® Mather, N., & Goldstein, S. (2001). Learning disabilities and challenging behaviors: a guide for intervention
and classroom management. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. Chapter 7: Visual, auditory, and motor
processing (pp. 165-186).
 Fink, R. P. (1995/1996). Successful dyslexics: a constructivist study of passionate interest reading.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 39(4), 268-280.
® Vellutino, F. R., & Fletcher, J. M. (2005). Developmental dyslexia. In M. J. Snowling, & C. Hulme
(Eds.), The science of reading: a handbook (pp. 362-378). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
Friday, 17 May – Dyslexia
There are multiple theories about the underlying nature and cause(s) of dyslexia; today, you will read
about some of the neuroscience of dyslexia (Eden & Moats, Gabrieli), and more specifically about a
phonological deficit (Shaywitz), a fluency deficit (Wolf), and a mapping deficit (Wallace).
 Eden, G. F., & Moats, L. (2002). The role of neuroscience in the remediation of students with
dyslexia. Nature Neuroscience, 5(11), 1080-1084. doi:10.1038/nn946
 Gabrieli, J. D. E. (2009). Dyslexia: a new synergy between education and cognitive neuroscience.
Science, 325, 280-283. doi:10.1126/science.1171999
® Wolf, M., O’Brien, B., Adams, K. D., Joffe, T., Jeffery, J., Lovett, M., & Mossir, R. (2003). Working
for time: reflections on naming speed, reading fluency, and intervention. In B. R. Foorman (Ed.),
Preventing and remediating reading difficulties: bringing science to scale (pp. 355-379). Timonium, MD:
York Press.
 Wallace, M. T. (2009). Dyslexia: bridging the gap between hearing and reading. Current Biology, 19(6),
R260-R262. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2009.01.025
 Shaywitz, S. E., Mody, M., & Shaywitz, B. E. (2006). Neural mechanisms in dyslexia. Current Directions
in Psychological Science, 15(6), 278-281. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00452.x
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 13 of 15
 Schneps, M. H., Rose, L. T., & Fischer, K. W. (2007). Visual learning and the brain: implications for
dyslexia. Mind, Brain, and Education, 1(3), 128-139. doi:10.1111/j.1751-228X.2007.00013.x
[optional reading – this is a neat article that might make you think differently about dyslexia]
Week Nine________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 20 May – Dyslexia
What can neuroscience contribute to our understanding of dyslexia and to intervention and remediation
approaches? What is happening in poorly reading brains?
® Shaywitz, S. E. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia: a new and complete science-based program for reading problems at
any level. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Chapter 7: The working brain reads (pp. 71-89).
 Editorial. (2007). A cure for dyslexia? Nature Neuroscience, 10(2), 135. doi:10.1038/nn0207-135
 Sherman, C. (2011, 25 March). Visualizing how we read. This report for the Dana Foundation can be
found at http://www.dana.org/news/features/detail.aspx?id=31068
 Hoeft, F., McCandliss, B. D., Black, J. M., Gantman, A., Zakerani, N., Hulme, C., et al. (2011).
Neural systems predicting long-term outcome in dyslexia. Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 108(1), 361-366.
Wednesday, 22 May – Struggling Adolescent Readers
Today we focus on adolescents who are struggling with reading, who may or may not meet the criteria for
a diagnosis of dyslexia. How would you address the needs of these students, given what you now know
about reading? The articles for today provide some suggestions. NB: This is quite a bit of reading in
terms of number of pages, but most of it is pretty easy reading. Please bring the articles to class as we will
have small discussion groups.
 Lenz, B. K., Ehren, B. J., & Deshler, D. D. (2005). The content literacy continuum: a school reform
framework for improving adolescent literacy for all students. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37(6),
60-63.
 McClanahan, B. (2009). Help! I have kids who can’t read in my world history class! Preventing School
Failure, 53(2), 105-111. doi:10.3200/PSFL.53.2.105-112
 Greene, J. F. (1998, Spring/Summer). Another chance: help for older students with limited literacy.
American Educator, 22(1&2), 1-6. This article is available on-line at http://www.aft.org/pubsreports/american_educator/issues/spring-summer98/index.htm (scroll down until you find
Spring/Summer 1998, Vol. 22, Nos. 1 & 2, click on this link, then click on the article title)
 Moats, L. C. (2004). Efficacy of a structured, systematic language curriculum for adolescent poor
readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 20, 145-159. doi:10.1080/10573560490262082
 Cantrell, S. C., Almasi, J. F., Carter, J. C., Rintamaa, M., & Madden, A. (2010). The impact of
strategy-based intervention on the comprehension and strategy use of struggling adolescent
readers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(2), 257-280. doi:10.1037/a0018212
 Rezaie, R., Simos, P.G., Fletcher, J.M., Cirino, P.T., Vaughn, S., & Papanicolaou, A.C. (2011).
Temporo-parietal brain activity as a longitudinal predictor of response to educational
interventions among middle school struggling readers. Journal of the International
Neuropsychological Society, 17, 875-885. doi:10.1017/S1355617711000890
 National Institute for Literacy (2007). What content-area teachers should know about adolescent
literacy (Contract No. ED-04-CO-0094). This report is available on-line at
http://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/adolescent_literacy07.pdf
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 14 of 15
Friday, 24 May – Putting it all Together: Plasticity and Development
PAPER 4 DUE TODAY
Today we will be returning to the beginning, revisiting pre-reader skills and working our way back up
through beginning reading skills to dyslexia. The theme is the incredible plasticity that allows us to
develop – as readers and as teachers – a brain that can read.
We will be viewing The child’s brain: from syllable to sound (Episode 2) from the series The secret life of the
brain today in class. [Thirteen/WNET New York (Producer). (2001). The secret life of the brain [Motion
picture]. United States: PBS Home Video. (52 min.).]
Week Ten_________________________________________________________________________________________
Monday, 27 May – No class: Memorial Day (reading period)
Wednesday, 29 May – Summary and Review
Post a question on the Blackboard Discussion Board that you think would be good for the final exam.
We will review the questions (as many as we can) in class. These readings provide a relatively good
summary of many of the themes of the course; they should be useful as you prepare for the final exam.
 National Research Council (1998). Chapter 2: The process of learning to read. In C. E. Snow, M. S.
Burns, & P. Griffin (Eds.), Preventing reading difficulties in young children (pp. 41-84). Washington,
DC: National Academy Press. This chapter is available at the following address:
http://books.nap.edu/html/prdyc/ch2.html
 Kirby, J.R., Desrochers, A., Roth, L., & Lai, S.S.V. (2008). Longitudinal predictors of word reading
development. Canadian Psychology, 49(2), 103-110. doi:10.1037/0708-5591.49.2.103
® Spear-Swerling, L., & Sternberg, R. J. (1996). Off-track: when poor readers become ‘learning disabled.’
Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Chapter 7: Educational practices for children with reading
disability (pp. 185-228).
 Schlaggar, B. L., & Church, J. A. (2009). Functional neuroimaging insights into the development of
reading skills. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(1), 21-26. doi:10.1111/j.14678721.2009.01599.x
Spring 2012-2013 c The Reading Brain c 15 of 15