How Children Learn to Read

Have you ever watched a young child’s face light up to recognize a word or chime in at a familiar part of a favorite story? How do we kids turn into active, engaged readers and writers? In this section, we will explore the science behind learning to read and write.     

illustration of head filled with bookshelves and books

What We Know About Reading and the Brain

Our brains are the command center for reading and coordinate interrelated processes that allow us to use spoken and written language. In this section, you’ll learn about the brain regions that are related to reading.

row of elementary kids reading books

Models of Reading

An introduction to the most widely tested models — the simple view of reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope — as well as newer models that seek to expand our understanding of how children become skilled readers.

Elementary girl in colorful striped sweater reading a book

Typical Reading Development

Learn about the typical stages we see in children as they become readers, from pre-K through high school. Literacy begins with a strong foundation in oral language comprehension and word recognition (decoding). 

Related resources

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How Children Learn to Read

Teacher and literacy coach Margaret Goldberg gives a concise and clear explanation of the science of reading and how it makes sense in her teaching practice. Using animations, graphics and student video examples, Margaret connects the dots from research to instruction, covering how the brain reads, how we use letters and sounds for reading, and how we use meaning and context for reading. (From our sister project, Reading Universe)

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