Program

Special Education M.A.

Number of Pages

67

Year Approved

2024

First Advisor

Cavalier, Meghan

Abstract

The following literature review investigates current research focused on the neural networks involved in reading and the implications of the research on early literacy education and instruction. The neural network is located in the left hemisphere of the brain and consists of two distinct pathways utilized during word reading, a decoding pathway and a sight-recognition pathway. As a reader learns to read they primarily utilize the decoding pathway and as their proficiency increases the more efficient sight-recognition pathway is used more frequently. It is clear from the research that the most effective way to move students toward the use of the sight recognition pathway is to teach the direct spelling of sound mappings through direct phonics instruction. Children who receive early literacy instruction consisting of explicit and systematic phonics instruction read better than children who do not receive it. In addition, this thesis investigates some barriers that prevent information from hard science fields such as neuroscience from being incorporated into the educational establishment and pedagogical practices.

Degree Name

Special Education M.A.

Document Type

Masterʼs thesis

Terms of Use and License Information

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

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