Building Stronger Reading Skills

Successful reading relies on more than learning how to read. It is actually driven by the strength of the foundational cognitive skills the brain uses to decipher and remember words and ideas.

Strong cognitive skills help strengthen our reading skills

An effective way to strengthen reading skills is to strengthen the brain’s cognitive skills. These are the skills the brain uses not only to read, but also to think, learn, remember, pay attention, and solve problems.

Seven core cognitive skills include:

• Attention

• Processing Speed

• Working Memory

• Auditory Processing

• Visual Processing

• Logic & Reasoning

• Long-Term Memory

All of the brain’s skills are utilized in the complex process of reading, but some cognitive skills—like auditory processing and word attack—are especially critical to reading success.

Stronger reading performance following cognitive training

In one study, students who struggled with reading received 120 hours of cognitive training (also known as brain training). The cognitive training program they followed was ReadRx by LearningRx. During the ReadRx program, every student worked with his or her own personal brain trainer for one-on-one mental exercises that are designed to target and strengthen key reading skills.

The results? After 120 hours of training, the average gain in four cognitive skills critical for reading was 3.6 skill-years:

Reading Achievement Test Age Equivalent Pre and Post ReadRx Training*

*These are the results of past clients. To learn more about brain training results, visit www.learningrx.com/results and download the full report.

To find out if stronger cognitive skills would help you or your child experience stronger reading skills, the first step is to take a Brain Skills Assessment. The Assessment measures cognitive performance, and it pinpoints any weaknesses that need to be addressed. To learn more about the relationship between cognitive skills and reading skills—or to schedule a Brain Skills Assessment—click the link below to locate a LearningRx Center near you (online options for skills testing and training are also available).

Take our Online Brain Quiz today and then reach out to Your local brain training center.