Optimizing reading enhancement: Evidence from brain research

Developments in neuroscience and specifically in brain science research into reading disabilities, have led to the formation of a separate scientific discipline. In order to better understand the underlying causes of reading disabilities, current research uses a wide array of advanced technologies to investigate the various aspects of both the regular and deviant expressions of the reading process. Tremendous advances have been made in the diagnostic domain. However, understanding the remediation aspects of learning disabilities is still very limited and needs to be developed. There is ample scientific evidence of the human brain’s plasticity; its ability to change throughout our lifetime; to manipulate information; to learn new operations; to create new cells and slow down their mortality; and to expand and create neural networks. Such evidence has opened up new insight into the theoretical and applied studies of intervention and remediation of reading skills. It is conceivable that with the development of an adequate intervention program, the brain structure and activation patterns of people with learning disabilities may change and improve reading capabilities. In the current chapter, the data from a training protocol using the Reading Acceleration Program (RAP) is being presented as a tool for brain training and reading enhancement.