Born to Read — What Science Now Confirms About the Brain’s Reading Blueprint

New research proves what many educators deny: the brain is prewired to read. It’s time to rethink everything.

Sections:

🧬 The Visual Word Form Area

• Ohio State study shows newborns have a brain region ready to process words.

• VWFA is connected to language networks — even before exposure.

❌ The Myth of “Reading Isn’t Natural”

• Pamela Snow and others claim reading is a recent invention, so it can’t be innate.

• This ignores both science and lived experience.

🔄 What This Means

• We’re not building literacy from scratch — we’re protecting what’s already there.

• Mislabeling kids and rigid instruction are the real threats.

🧠 The Future of Dyslexia Research

• OSU is scanning 3–4 year olds to track VWFA development.

• This could reshape how we understand reading disorders.

Call to Action: Reading is not a contrivance. It’s a capacity. 

Read the full post below.

For years, I’ve been told that reading is not a natural process — that it’s a human invention too recent to be innate. Educators like Pamela Snow parrot this claim, citing the 6,000-year history of written language as proof. But new research from Ohio State University finally confirms what I’ve observed for decades: the human brain is biologically predisposed to learn to read.

The Innate Spark — Why Many Children Can Read Before We Teach Them

Children aren’t broken. Our teaching methods are. Discover why decoding is often innate — and how confusion poisons the path to literacy.

Sections:

🔍 What We’re Missing

• Most children who read do so by figuring it out — even when phonics is taught incorrectly.

• Decoding ≠ comprehension. Let’s stop conflating the two.

🧠 The Brain’s Highway System

• Harvard research shows reading relies on smooth neural pathways.

• Wrong phonics = stoplights. Correct input = free flow.

🚨 Instructional Casualties

• Many “dyslexic” children are victims of confusion, not disorder.

• Early exposure to wrong sounds (TV, kindergarten) blocks natural decoding.

🧒 Real Stories, Real Insight

• My first student learned to read without phonics — just Peter and Jane books.

• I’ve seen children “unlock” reading overnight when confusion is removed.

Call to Action: Let’s stop blaming children. Let’s start fixing instruction. 

Read the full post below

For years, I’ve argued that many children possess an innate ability to decode written language — an ability that’s often overlooked, dismissed, or actively suppressed by flawed teaching methods. This claim has sparked heated debates, especially on Twitter, where educators like Pamela Snow have blocked me rather than engage with the evidence. But the truth remains: many children figure out how to read despite — not because of — formal instruction.

 

🚸 Decoding vs. Comprehension: Let’s Be Precise

When I say “reading,” I’m talking about decoding — the ability to recognize and sound out words. Comprehension is a separate skill, and I leave that to experts in that field. The confusion between these two has led to widespread misunderstanding about what it means to “learn to read.”

The power of explicit instruction Anna Stokke with Anita Archer

 

# Confusion, Not Disability: The Real Reason Kids Struggle to Read

 

## A literacy advocate’s challenge to 50 years of consensus—and a call to teach letter sounds with clarity.

 

For decades, educators have relied on explicit instruction to teach reading. But despite its widespread use, millions of children still struggle. Why?

 

**Luqman Michel**, educator and author of *Shut Down Kids*, argues that the problem isn’t cognitive—it’s confusion. When letter sounds are taught with extraneous sounds - schwas (“muh” instead of “m”), children disengage. This landing page explores the overlooked cause of reading failure and offers a path forward.

Echoes of Dissent: China’s Influencer Crackdown and the Silencing of Education Truth-Tellers Part 2

 

Pinyin vs. the Phonics Plague

In Part 1, I asked whether my emails to SCMP, Liberty Times, and Global Times—plus blog posts dismantling dyslexia dogma—nudged Beijing’s October 25 crackdown. Now let’s dig deeper.

 

This isn’t about “misinformation.” It’s about shielding myths—especially those exposed by Pinyin’s quiet brilliance.

Echoes of Dissent: China’s Influencer Crackdown and the Silencing of Education Truth-Tellers Part 1:

When Credentials Trump Truth

On October 25, 2025, China dropped a regulatory bombshell: influencers must now present verified professional credentials—degrees, licenses, official stamps—before speaking on “sensitive” topics like education, medicine, law, or finance. No more armchair experts dropping truth bombs without the ivory-tower seal of approval. The penalties? Up to 100,000 yuan in fines, content wiped, accounts suspended.