Study Finds Reading Program Rewires Brain
A Stanford University-led study found that an evidence-based reading program physically rewires the brains of children with dyslexia. The research, published in *Nature Communications* on February 26th, confirmed that the Lindamood-Bell's Seeing Stars® program improves reading skills and strengthens brain circuitry associated with reading.
The study zeroed in on the Visual Word Form Area (VWFA), a part of the brain crucial for fluent word recognition that develops as children learn to read. Before the intervention, researchers found this brain region was smaller, less active, or in some cases, not even detectable in many of the children with dyslexia. The six-year randomized controlled trial involved 44 children with dyslexia, aged 7-13. After just eight weeks of intensive instruction with the program, the children's reading skills improved by an average of one grade level. The control group, which received no intervention, showed no comparable progress. The Seeing Stars® program, created by Nanci Bell, works by developing "symbol imagery," which is the ability to visualize sounds and letters in words. This foundation in orthographic and phonemic awareness is designed to improve word recognition, spelling, and reading fluency. Lead researcher Dr. Jason Yeatman of Stanford University stated that the fMRI scans showed significant growth in the VWFA for children who underwent the training. "It's as if evidence-based intervention builds this region in the dyslexic brain," Yeatman said. Dyslexia is a common neurobiological condition, affecting an estimated 5-10% of the population, though some studies suggest the prevalence could be as high as 20%. It is the most common language-based learning disability. The research team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to track brain activity up to five times over the course of a year. This technology allowed them to objectively measure physical changes in brain structure, linking the intervention directly to neurological growth. However, the study also found that some neurological differences remained a year after the program ended. This suggests that while the brain has a remarkable capacity for change, dyslexia also reflects enduring traits.
