How the Brain Learns to Read

Why Reading Isn’t Natural—and Why Teaching It Matters

Unlike speaking, which our brains are naturally wired to do, reading is something humans aren’t born knowing how to do. That might be surprising, especially since reading feels so routine today. But in the grand scheme of human history, reading and writing are actually pretty new skills.

Long before written language, people used spoken words to tell stories and pass down traditions. Writing didn’t begin until around 4,000 BCE, when people needed a way to keep track of things like trade and property—think of early farmers needing to record sales of animals or goods. These early marks eventually became writing, and with that, reading was born.

But here’s the key point: our brains didn’t evolve to read in the same way they did to speak. Instead, our brains had to re-train themselves to use areas built for other purposes—like recognizing faces or patterns—and apply them to reading. This process is possible because of something called brain plasticity, meaning the brain can adapt and change.

Even once reading existed, it wasn’t common. Until the late 1800s, most people didn’t go to school or learn to read, especially in farming communities where children worked on the land. After the Industrial Revolution, when families moved to cities and children had more time for school, literacy rates began to rise. Today, about 4 out of 5 adults in the U.S. are considered literate.

But because reading isn’t natural, most children need direct instruction in how to do it. This includes learning phonics (how letters and sounds connect), building vocabulary, and gaining background knowledge. These are all key to helping kids understand and make sense of what they read.

How the Brain Learns to Read—and Why Teaching Matters

While the human brain is naturally built to learn spoken language, it’s not naturally wired to read. In fact, only about 20–30% of kids learn to read on their own. The majority—around 70–80%—need clear, structured lessons and a strong reading program to build the skills they need to succeed (King & Davis, 2022).

Scientists now understand a lot more about how the brain processes reading, thanks to advanced imaging tools. These allow researchers to see how different parts of the brain work together when someone is learning to read.

Reading is not handled by just one part of the brain—it’s a team effort involving several regions that communicate with each other at the same time. As children learn and practice reading skills, their brains actually change and grow to become better at reading (Sedita, 2020).

French neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene, an expert in this area, explains that learning to read requires the brain to do two big things:

1. Recognize letters and understand how they come together to form written words.
   
   

2. Connect those words to speech sounds, then turn those sounds into meaning.
   
   

Reading starts in the brain’s visual center—where we process images—but quickly moves to other parts. One key area is what Dehaene calls the “letter box,” which helps us recognize letters and words. From there, two different networks kick in: one for understanding what words mean, and another for saying or sounding them out.

Interestingly, the brain doesn’t start with meaning when learning to read. It starts with sound and shape. That’s why hearing the sounds of letters and words (phonics) is so important. We actually “hear” words in our heads as we read, which is a big part of how we make sense of them.

Even before children learn to read, their brains already have strong systems in place to understand spoken language and visual information. What’s missing is the connection between those two systems—and that’s where reading instruction comes in. With the right guidance and practice, children’s brains can make those connections and become strong readers.