Educational Neuroscience for Literacy Teachers

Bridging the world of reading instruction and applied cognitive neuroscience, this book presents research-backed reading instructional methods and explains how they can be understood through the lens of brain processes. Dispelling myths about neuroscience, Spence and Mitra explore how brain-based research informs literacy research in a way that is clear and accessible to pre-service teachers. Chapters address theories of reading, social-emotional learning, phonological processes, embodiment, multilingualism, reading comprehension, and more. Featuring examples of instruction and consistent "Did you know?" and "Food for thought" sections, readers will come away with a greater understanding of the reading brain and how neuroscience can facilitate effective instruction. Delving into the extent to which neuroscience can underpin reading research, this text is ideal for pre-service teachers, educators, and students in the fields of language arts and literacy, as well as cognitive neuroscience.

Lucy Spence is a Professor of Language and Literacy Education in the Department of Instruction and Teacher Education at the University of South Carolina, USA. Ayan Mitra is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Hoeft Laboratory for Learning Engineering and Neural Systems (BrainLENS Laboratory, University of Connecticut and University of California, San Francisco) with joint appointment at the Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) at the University of Connecticut, USA, Department of Psychological Sciences.

1. Neuroscience and Literacy 2. Literacy Theories 3. Embodied Brain 4. Social and Emotional Brain 5. Multimodal Brain 6. Making Meaning 7. Phonology 8. Languaging 9. Literacy Networks