How does our brain decipher writing ?

Chairman : Jean-Luc Fournet

Abstract

We've all learned to decipher a subtle cryptogram : the alphabetic script you're reading right now. Using brain imaging, my laboratory is trying to understand how learning to read takes place in the developing brain. We are beginning to decipher the neural code that, in the left occipitotemporal cortex, registers the statistics of written letters and enables us to recognize words, whatever their size or font. But students don't need to be Champollion : explicit lectures on the grapho-phonological code will enable them to modify their brain circuits in just a few months. In conclusion, I'll summarize what we know about the most effective pedagogies for teaching reading.