NPR

The Gap Between The Science On Kids And Reading, And How It Is Taught

Two thirds of the nation's school children struggle with reading. Neuroscientist Mark Seidenberg says teachers need a better understanding of what science knows about how kids learn to read.
Source: LA Johnson

Mark Seidenberg is not the first researcher to reach the stunning conclusion that only a third of the nation's school children read at grade level. The reasons are numerous, but one that Seidenberg cites over and over again is this: The way kids are taught to read in school is disconnected from the latest research, namely how language and speech actually develop in a child's brain.

Seidenberg is a cognitive scientist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his latest book, , he points out that theto grasp. He says it requires some basic understanding of brain research and the "mechanics" of reading, or what is often referred to as phonics.

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