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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
Published on: July 1, 2015
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Prereader to beginning reader: changes induced by reading acquisition in print and speech brain networks.
Katarzyna Chyl1, Bartosz Kossowski2,3, Agnieszka Dębska1
1Laboratory of Psychophysiology, Department of Neurophysiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS, Warsaw, Poland.
Summary
Learning to read changes children's brains, particularly in language networks. This study used fMRI to link reading skill to brain activation in young children, revealing key differences between emergent and pre-readers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Literacy acquisition significantly alters brain networks involved in spoken and written language.
- Large-scale pediatric functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on this topic are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between reading performance and brain activation in children.
- To identify neural differences between emergent and pre-readers using fMRI.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed fMRI data from 111 children (kindergarten and first grade).
- Correlated individual reading performance with brain activation patterns for speech and print.
- Compared brain activity between matched groups of emergent-readers and pre-readers.
Main Results:
- Reading skill correlated with activation differences in the left superior temporal, inferior frontal, and fusiform gyri.
- Emergent-readers showed higher activation in the left inferior frontal, precentral, and postcentral gyri compared to pre-readers.
- Print-speech coactivation was observed in readers, correlating with reading skill.
Conclusions:
- Learning to read induces significant modifications in children's visual and oral language systems.
- The convergence of print and speech processing in the brain is a key indicator of literacy acquisition.
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