When you learn a new skill, it often impacts the way you perform other tasks. When you learn to read, the impact the skill has on other abilities is one that is unexpected: the way your brain sees mirror images.

Researchers have found that young children do not recognize the difference between an object and its mirror image. In the past it was believed that only dyslexic children confused “b” and “d” and “p” and “q.” However, they now believe every child that has not learned to read confuses these mirror image letters.

Unlike children that do not have a problem adjusting to mirror images, I have noticed my own personal struggle with mirror images over the years. Every time I am getting ready for the day and I see my clock in the mirror I have to make a cognitive effort to decipher the real time. Sometimes I give up all together and physically turn my head to be sure I get the proper time. Also, when checking the back of my hair in a mirror, I often naturally reach for the wrong side of my head and only know which direction to move my hand to fix my hair by first making the wrong choice.

Evolutionary scientists believe we originally had the skill to automatically see mirror images as identical for protective reasons. If an animal could properly position one of its predators by its reflection in the water, it could better remove itself from a harmful situation.

However, as we learn to read, the brain must learn to differentiate mirror images as separate in order to notice the difference between letters that would otherwise be identical. Technically our brains should still see images as identical and only letters and numbers as different. I somewhat doubt this finding since I have problems with both.

Interestingly, the research also found that adults who have not learned to read see mirror images the way young children who have not learned to read do. However, when these adults learn to read, their perception of mirror images also changes.

Because of all the things you gain from the ability to read, it is well worth the poorer interpretation of mirror images that comes with it. If you disagree, read this post from our blog to learn 30 of the reasons I believe reading is more important than the way you interpret yourself in a mirror: "30 Reasons Reading Should Be a Priority"

Also you can share any discontent with my claim that reading is more important than the way you interpret yourself in a mirror in the comment section of this post.

P.S.

The research on this post comes from the work of cognitive neuroscientist, Stanislas Dehaene, at the French medical-research agency, INSERM.

Read more about his research: “The Da vinci Code: Reading May Involve Unlearning An Older Skill”

If you enjoyed this blog post you may also enjoy: "How 'Luck' Impacts Reading Teachers & Students"

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I was glad to see an article today about an organization called Kids Count which is encouraging parents to dedicate time to helping their children with reading this summer. Lately there have been numerous articles about how critical it is for students to read at grade level at the end of 3rd grade and going into 4th grade.

Today Education News had an article which claimed that 85% of 4th graders in low-income areas are not obtaining proficient levels in reading. The article went on to say: “The evidence is clear that those students who do not read well have a very tough time succeeding in school and graduating from high schools and going on to successful careers and lives,” Ralph R. Smith, vice president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Proficient reading skills are essential and summer presents students that are behind an opportunity to catch up to their peers. It also is important for all students to maintain their reading skills over the summer. Typically student's reading skills regress 2-3 months over the summer. This slows learning when school resumes in the fall and puts students who are behind, further behind.

Reading Horizons offers Reading Horizons At Home for students that need to spend additional time working on reading. It relies on the same method and covers the same materials as the version used in schools. It’s an effective resource for who are struggling with reading or that have a learning disability which makes reading difficult to improve reading over the summer.  

Reading Horizons At Home is an effective summer reading program for struggling readers. The reading program typically provides users 2-5 reading level improvements in 3-6 months. This program would allow many students to go back to school reading at grade level and greatly decrease the potential of them falling even further behind. This would be a good resource to refer to parents that have students that are struggling with reading.

Today I found a blog post from a former teacher that taught with Reading Horizons and reviewed Reading Horizons At Home for students. To read the blog post visit: http://www.womenshomeactivities.com/preschool-software-using-reading-horizons-at-home-intensive-phonics/

For more information on Reading Horizons At Home visit: www.ReadingHorizonsAtHome.com 

We’re all different, but there are a few similarities that connect almost everyone. One of those things is learning to read. I’ve seen first hand that not everyone effectively learns to read, but I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone has had experiences learning to read.

Because of where I work I have become hyper aware of anything that relates to reading or language development. A few weeks ago I was watching some of our old home videos and I was surprised how often I or one of my siblings was video taped with a book in hand trying to sound out words, or, simply making up a story solely from the pictures of a book.

This clip was one of my favorites:

Reading allows people to bond in so many ways. I loved when I first watched that clip because it was fun to see how nice my brother was to me as a kid and how something as simple as him explaining a story to me allowed us to bond. My brother no longer explains what a book means to me but when I see him we often have conversations about books and things we have read. Reading provides people so many ways to connect with each other.

Because Reading Horizons actively works to create a system that strives to promote the success of anyone learning to read, we are interested in your own experiences of learning to read or your observations of your students’ or your own children’s experiences learning to read. On our Facebook page we are inviting anyone to share their favorite video clips of kids or students learning to read, as well as pictures and tips.

Be sure to check out our Facebook page and share the experiences of learning to read that connect us all!

For decades one of the largest debates in Psychology has centered around Nature vs. Nurture and the effect each plays in development. Recently, a study conducted by Florida State University took this debate into the classroom to see the effects of Nature vs. Nurture in terms of literacy development.

Research Design

By assigning 280 pairs of identical twins and 526 pairs of fraternal twins to separate classrooms, the researchers were able to discover the impact the classroom environment played in students reading progress. Using identical twins, who would develop very similarly left entirely to Nature, allows researchers to see the impact Nurture (the teacher and classroom environment) plays on literacy development. To test these differences the researchers assigned the identical twins to classrooms with teachers who had received significantly different quality scores.

Study Results

Of the 280 identical twin pairs studied, 42 pairs revealed significant differences in reading development at the completion of the one year study. Twins with teachers that had similar quality scores had similar reading scores at the end of the year. The students that showed the largest reading improvement over the year were the students of the teachers that were rated with the highest quality scores at the beginning of the study.

Study Conclusions

Researchers were careful to clarify that teachers are not the sole purpose for reading differences between the twins in different classrooms. Tim Shanahan, Professor at the University of Illinois explained: “The word teacher or teacher quality is being used here as a shorthand for the kids’ entire experience in the classroom.”

There are several factors that could impact the difference in the performance of the identical twins in separate classrooms: disruptive students, teacher materials, the number of struggling students in the class, ect…

Shanahan also said: “Good classrooms are all alike; they maximize kids’ potential. Poor classrooms are not only poor in one way; they are poor in multiple ways.” Shanahan also asserted that teacher and classroom disparities can change with the right resources and training.

Resources:

“Better Teachers Make for Stronger Young Readers”

“Study: Better teachers help children read faster”

“Study: After genes, teachers help kids read faster”

Reading Horizons works to help teachers erase these disparities by providing Professional Development and materials to promote student reading. For more information visit: www.ReadingHorizons.com

As I was sitting at my desk with dark clouds and rain pouring outside the only topic that motivated me to write was the effects of sunshine on behavior. Where I live is still deciding whether or not to make the switch to summer and I recently found on article that discussed the effect of sun on our moods. The article revealed the following findings:

1. We are nicer on sunny days. People pay others higher tips and are more willing to take surveys on sunny days.
2. College admissions favor socially strong students on sunny days and academically strong students on cloudy days.
3. The stock market is 3x’s more likely to go up on the days it is sunny in the city of the exchange.
4. Lottery ticket sales increase on cloudy days because the poorer moods associated with bad weather decrease self-control and people are more willing to give into temptation.
5. On cloudy days people consume more chocolate and comfort foods as an attempt to improve one’s mood.

To read the entire article click here

I love the sun! There is clearly substantial research that proves the benefits it has on our moods. Thus, I encourage anyone who is blessed with the sun today and the ability to read to go outside and read a book to give yourself a mood boost!