133J Lecture - 1/14/26

These flashcards focus on vocabulary related to how the brain processes reading, including neural functions and structures involved in reading development.

Reading Circuit

The pattern of neuronal activation through the brain as it processes reading.

Occipital Lobe

The part of the brain responsible for processing visual information.

Neuronal Activation

The wave of brain activity that occurs as different areas process reading.

Fluent Reading

The ability to read text smoothly and effortlessly.

Visual Word Form Area (VWFA)

The region of the brain specialized for recognizing letters and words.

Dorsal Pathway

The pathway involved in processing where an object is located in space.

Ventral Pathway

The pathway responsible for determining what an object is.

Phonological Route

The pathway that processes sounds of language, enabling phonetic reading.

Lexical Route

The pathway that processes words directly for meaning without phonetic analysis.

Feature Detectors

Neurons in the occipital lobe that respond to specific visual features such as lines and angles.

Morpheme

The smallest meaningful unit of language, such as a word or prefix.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound in speech that can differentiate meaning.

Neural Pathways

Connections between neurons that facilitate communication during reading.

Contralateral Organization

The principle that the left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa.

Activation Waves

The sequence of neuronal firing that follows the processing of reading from back to front of the brain.

Cognition

The mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding.

Reading Comprehension

The ability to understand and interpret the meaning of text.

Visual Inputs

The visual information that is processed by the occipital lobe during reading.

Neural Specialization

The adaptation of neurons in the brain to perform specific functions.

Higher-Level Neurons

Neurons that integrate input to make more complex decisions about meanings and words.

Context Clues

Hints or signals within the surrounding text that help identify unfamiliar words.

Letterbox

A term for the visual word form area, important for processing written language.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.

Reading Experience

The cumulative knowledge and skills a person gains from reading over time.

Word Prediction

The brain's ability to anticipate the next word based on context and prior experiences.

Reading Habits

Regular practices or routines related to reading that affect brain development.

Automaticity

The ability to read quickly and effortlessly, often developed through practice.

Visual Text Processing

The way visual information from written language is decoded in the brain.

Dual-Route Model

A model describing two pathways for reading: lexical and phonological.

Reading Strategies

Methods or techniques used to enhance reading comprehension and speed.

Spelling Competence

The ability to accurately spell words, which may depend on reading strategies.

Brain Lateralization

The specialization of certain cognitive functions in one hemisphere of the brain.

Letter Recognition

The ability to identify and differentiate letters quickly.

Neural Connectivity

The ability of neurons to form networks that facilitate communication.

Billions of Neurons

Refers to the large number of neurons that work together in the brain for complex tasks.

Reading Development

The process through which individuals learn to read and how their skills change.