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Call for question: READING! (Patreon)

Published:
2023-06-12 18:18:11
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Yes, there is a science of reading! Ask your reading questions below and I'll reeeeeead as many as I can on the show!  So excited for this one. Also this new Scallops ep is due out tomorrow and it's turned into a fun, weird one. I hope you dig it. 

Okay, reading questions. Let's see 'em. 

-Ol Ward

Comments

Melissa Wise

What is going on when you read the same page or paragraph 10 times in a row? Other times you can be distracted but still retain what you read...

Anna Thompson

What's the best music to have on when trying to focus on on a book?

Levi Crandall

Why is it easier to read with certain letters in bold? What is that?

Anna Thompson

Do our brains work differently when we read for fun vs work or school?

Jen A.

Is there really a difference between reading and audio books?

Levi Crandall

Also why am I not reading at the same level I was in 5th grade? It feels like I’ve gone back in time

Julie-Anne

First time question asker! I’ve heard it quoted that reading fiction increases empathy. How is this measured? Is there any validity to these studies?

Anna Thompson

Does annotating help you retain the information better?

shizzamX

How is it that I can be reading the words but not really processing them?

FrankD

What’s the fastest speed reading speed?

Patricia G

What is the correlation between early, intensive reading for infants and toddlers and intelligence as an adult?

Frederick Raymond-Coursol

Yesss, I need to know why is it that when you read and get into it, you kinda start to read faster, almost has if you heard the words? Does that make sense ? Anyways ! Can’t wait for this episode !

Deacon Raid

We can Read faster than our eyes move???

Ecaterina Balica

Can one read too many books in a given timeframe?

Mimz

Why aren't we taught reading rules (other than I before E) like 'two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking' and how do these get decided?? It would have made reading so much easier!

Kelly King

Why is it that while reading, some things are really easy to retain, but others float right out of your head? Does it have to do with focus, interest, complexity?

Becks Woodruff

Any tips for reading faster while maintaining comprehension?

Cate Muenker

I have this argument with my husband and sons all the time about my audiobook "reading". I still call it reading, they call it listening....what do you think?

cash.ruska

I wish I could formulate a question but all I've got to say is SPEED READING???

Adrien WikiSleep Sala

Do reading and meditation have anything in common in terms of what is happening in our brains? I do both and had to learn/practice each to be able to maintain focus and do them longer, which got easier over time.

WildPackofDogs

My brother has dyslexia but is brilliant with maths and numbers. How can dyslexia impact language characters and not numeric characters?

Rachel Gentile

Any tips for getting out of a reading slump?

Anna Thompson

Why do some books become classics and others don't? Dovetail: why do some books get put on every school reading list what feels like nation-wide? There are so many books out there. Why'd we all have to read Of Mice and Men?

Cate Muenker

How can I read without falling asleep within 5 minutes- any tips? How can I learn to read faster? (I'm one of those people that actually says each word to myself in my head)

Ecaterina Balica

How did reading trends change through history? Is there a historical equivalent of booktube/ booktok?

Jessica Rosko

How do words on the page make pictures in my brain? That seems made-up. Thanks!! FTQA

Meaghan Walsh Gerard

I've been reading on my own since before I turned 3. I love it. I read all the time. My sister hates it. We grew up in the same house, went to same schools, etc. Do we know what about our brains/personalities tend to or away from reading?

Obilot

Are the changes and processes in the brain that is reading Braille with fingertips similar to those in the brain reading with eyes? What, if anything, will be lost if Braille continues to die out in favor of audio (besides the possibility of listening to background music while reading)?

Ben Hollin

How has social media impacted one's ability to focus while reading? I feel that my attention span is not what it used to be and I find myself skimming while reading a book as if it's a social media post or web page.

Isabel Vaz

What is the best (your favourite) way to teach a kid how to read?

Karly Koggenhop

Is there a scientific reason for why reading a physical book made of real paper is more fulfilling than reading from a phone or kindle? Aside from looking super cool when reading a real book in public.

CoffeeLeaf90

Is there a way to encourage/help (outside of or in addition to professional help) those that struggle with reading?

Courtney Leftwich

What is the best time of day to read for retention? I love to read at night but I notice I’m not retaining as much at night!

Chris Brewer

Why do some people prefer physical books to e-books?

Ann McHenry

I used to read like books were air that I needed to live, and now I find it hard to stay focused and enjoy a book instead of feeling like it's a chore. How do I fall in love with it again?

Obilot

[I AM EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE TOOOOOO!!!!!]

Julie-Anne

First time question asker, second question for this oligist! Does being bilingual have any impact on reading comprehension? Are there any findings on how comprehension of one language improves reading comprehension in the other? Do children in bilingual school programs have slower or faster reading acquisition than children who are only learning to read in one language?

Caroline Lambert

When people are "speed" reading, are they just getting the gist of the text, or are they actually absorbing the information and picking up on nuances in the writing? And if it's just skimming to get the gist of the text, can there be any appreciation of literary style?

HuffleGus

I used to be an avid reader. How do I overcome the pull of mindless scrolling/phone games and get into reading again?

Sophie

ftqa! What is the best way to get through reading dull books (aka textbooks...), they're just so boring sometimes!!

Kyla C (KAI-luh, rhymes with Myra or Lyla)

can you speak to the difference (if you agree one exists) between verbal and visual thinkers? I feel like I'm a very visual thinker (lots of neurodivergent people are) and recently realized it may affect how I read and why I might do it more slowly compared to others.

Meaghan Walsh Gerard

Similar question/thought: I seem to recall a study saying we remember things better when we write them out by hand (like when taking notes in school) than typing or using a laptop.

Julie-Anne

(I’ve asked a few questions, some of which have been answered in the main body of recent episodes, not sure if that disqualifies me as a FTQA!)

Kendall M

I do this thing I call reading with subtitles, where I listen to the audiobook while physically reading and I swear it makes me read so much faster and comprehend the book so much better. Is there science behind that or am I giving myself a placebo? Also reading is like my entire personality so I’m SUPER excited for this one!

Allison Fallon

How do you know when kids are ready to read? I've heard there is a strong correlation between losing your first baby tooth and the ability to learn to read. Is this true?

Kailee Godinez

First Time Question Asker here! What are the best ways to help a student enjoy reading or at least focus on it? Also what are the best ways to improve fluency when reading out loud? I'm a fifth grade teacher and always looking for ways to help my students!

Allison P

Does reading while doing something else (listening to music or walking on a treadmill, for instance) help or harm comprehension? I personally find it easier to stay engaged if I'm multitasking while reading.

Brittney Corrigan

How do you feel about how early we have started teaching reading to kids in the U.S.? I was an early reader at three (with my parents), but reading wasn't taught in school when I was a kid (1970s) until first grade. My kids (born in the early 00s) started learning in school in Kindergarten, which feels too early to me in terms of learning reading in an academic setting. Do you think kids should be taught to read early across the board or be allowed to come to it naturally, when they are ready? Do kids enjoy reading more if they haven't been forced into learning to read at a certain age in school?

Meaghan Walsh Gerard

Do we know if ancients "read" glyphs like we read today? Or was it more like signage and posters?

Emma Giles

Some people read to get tired, I read and stay up for hours finishing the book - should I just blame my ADHD or is there variation in how humans connect/react to reading? Or is it the topic that matters most?

EdNoGG

what’s the deal with S and K sounds for C words etc? How can anyone expect and one to understand how to read English?

Patrick W

As a graphic designer, I need to ask about fonts. Do serif fonts affect readability over sans-serifs? Is Comic Sans (or those specialized dyslexic fonts like Open Dyslexic) actually dyslexic-friendly, or is that flimflam?

Skylar

FTQA: I love reading, but it’s pretty limited to physical paper books. It is harder for me to focus with a digital option (kindle) and audiobooks. Why???

AB

First time question asker! Love this subject! How do we help kids with dyslexia earlier? Also how do we help them succeed in the K-12 system better? These are bright kids, who are awesome problem solvers, but are at a serious disadvantage with the way the school system currently works.

Winnie’s a Witch

Why is it that often kids who love reading, have a while in their teenage years that they go off reading, and have to rediscover/fall in love w it again in their early adulthood? I’ve had this experience and SO many of my friends too, so it would be interesting to know what puts teenagers off reading

Emma Giles

YES! I hated reading, now I'm obsessive, so does it change over time too?

Sarah Ward

As a Librarian I am so excited for this episode! Any tips for getting parents to understand that reading a graphic novel or listening to an audiobook is still reading?

Mia Batol

Reiterating a question above, how is poor visual memory possible, both my daughter and I have it. How do we improve it?

Rob Hale (he, him)

What trends in reading are you seeing as emojis and texting "short hand" (e.g. "LoL", "smh", "fml") become more pervasive?

Charli

Can you train yourself to read faster and faster without sacrificing comprehension? Are there any speed reading contests? Also, why did I naturally grow to love reading, while many of my friends hated it? Is there a genetic or behavioral reason behind this?

Chris Brewer

Do you think it helped or hurt literacy when schools stopped teaching cursive writing?

Kara

Can you please talk about reading difficulties in neurodivergent people (austic and/or adhd)? Any tips how to sustain attention better? I struggle with reaching the end of the paragraph before I zone out.

Seán Thomas Kane

How does reading change the way a person understands and retains information compared to people from oral societies?

Jeannie Wickert

Sometimes when I am really engrossed in a book, I feel like I am reading several lines at once and my eyes don't feel like they are moving. And other times, it feels really hard to read and I am hyper aware of my eyes moving. What's up with that? Am I weird?

Mariah McGregor

How do you define reading and how do you push back against people who disagree with you about that? As a librarian, there's always a rather loud bunch of people who want to determine what people can read and also what counts as reading (i.e. graphic novels or comic books or "the classics"). Fundamentally, reading should be used to convey information via symbols but what colloquially 'counts' always fascinates me.

JJ

My wife reads faster than people speak, but she retains info better from reading than from listening to people or audiobooks. Is she a genius? How do you read fast and retain info?

James

omg I'm so excited for this episode!! first time question asker, but life-long lover of books and reading! Are there any studies about the format of books? (ex. e-book vs. physical book vs. audiobooks) I find that I read e-books faster than physical books nowadays, and I can't do audiobooks (but podcasts are wonderful <3)

Rena Dez

Would love to hear about the three cueing system versus phonics instruction, and how it can affect lifelong reading skills!

Jen A.

Why do some people just retain information from reading so much better than others?

Anne Overly

I too love a good audiobook, but for a long time I didn't think that "counted" as reading until the last few years when I've seen more articles supporting audiobooks (and also started realizing what an ableist opinion that might be). Is it true that reading and listening have similar pathways to learning and memory in your brain?

Quincey Robisheaux

Why is reading so hard for people with attention troubles?

Kerry Constantino

Not a question so much, but up until a few years ago I was very slow reader. Reading was not fun and I basically slogged through required reading. I rarely read recreationally and I would really have to push myself to finish books. When I had children several years ago I began reading out loud to them all the time and after a few years of reading out loud every day I picked up a novel and read it SO FAST! It was crazy and I had no idea that I could improve my reading skills as an adult. Perhaps your guest could explain or expand on this. I kind of thought that reading speed was something established in childhood and that we just got what we got but now I think it may be more complicated? Thoughts?

Rachel Meckes

I’m a middle school librarian and my teachers sometimes argue about what constitutes “reading”. I’m on team “audiobooks and graphic novels are reading!” I have met a few teachers who want their students to read “real” books. Arm me with evidence to defend my students right to read!!!

Helen Langille

I used to love reading as a kid and could do it for hours on end for days at a time - is there some insight into why I can’t concentrate on reading for more than 15 minutes as someone in their late 30s? All I want to do it lose myself in a book again!!

Sidra Tirmizi

Is it true that some people read faster than others because their brains can see the first and last letters of a word and they figure out the rest? Lol I saw it on Instagram so maybe not

Sydonie S.

What are some tips and tricks for better retaining and recalling what I've read?

Julia Fisher

How is reading taught to meet the needs of all students (e.g. dyslexia, students whose family speaks a different language at home, etc.)?

Ryan Marlow

How much truth or baloney is behind the claims of "speed reading" techniques? Specifically, is there a disconnect between reading speed (moving your eye over the text and recognizing words) vs. comprehension (processing the words as concepts and how the concepts relate) vs. retention (being able to remember the stuff you "read" so quickly)?

Gerhard van der Watt

Sometime I "read" a page and realize I didn't take in any of what was written while my eyes still went from line to line! Is this a thing?

Sylvia Scharf

As the parent of a new reader, I've been fascinated by the differences in how reading is taught now. Particularly - the recognition that reading isn't a single action but a large constellation of actions, any one of which may be harder or easier for a given person. What are some of these different parts?

Kyla Kelly

how come highlighting what I read helps me better comprehend and retain what im reading?

Dave Cannon

Is there a difference in the reading of a book and the reading of body language? It's got to be, right. One is autism and the other is illiteracy. Am I wrong?

Uriel Walker

First time asker, long time listener and lover of reading! Do you think all the popular reading challenges (i.e. read this genre this week, a title starting with P this week, read 100 books this year, etc.) genuinely help motivate people and increase enjoyment of reading? Or is the pressure to keep up with said challenges affecting how much people read for pleasure in a more stressful/negative light? Super excited for this episode!

The Other Maya

As a dyslexic I can tell you that open dyslexic is like magic and I don't understand how. It's hard for me to keep things ordered sometimes and the shapes in this font keep everything steady. I can kind of glide through without effort. If it's flimflam then I'm a perfect mark. Like, truly perfect.

Kyla Kelly

How do reading and watching tv compare in terms of brain relaxation? Sometimes I have a mental barrier to reading at night when I'm tired because I feel like watching something would be easier and more mindless

Amelia Heins

Can I teach myself to read faster, or to retain information better?

Cecily Templeton

First Time Question Asker: what is it about reading that so many people love it and so many people to hate it? Why is it such a polarizing activity?

Cate Muenker

What genre is your favorite? Ever read an Oulander novel by Diana Gabaldon....her novels literally transport me- all my senses are awakened by her words. I didn't love reading till I found her books at age 33, now I'm 45 and I've read more books in 10 years than in my previous 30. Know of any other authors that do that for you?

The Other Maya

I would also like this question answered.

Megan

Ok, this will probably be explained during the episode, but. How does reading *work*. Like, how is it that we can see squiggly lines with our eyeballs and then our brains understand that the squiggly lines mean "cow" or "pineapple"? How does reading a line a text (theoretically) put images and understanding in our minds? How is that you understood that the asterisks around the word "work" up there mean that the word is emphasized? How can a thing be written a certain way and it means one thing, but add a slightly different squiggly line and it means a different thing? For example: "you had tacos for lunch." versus "you had tacos for lunch?!" versus "you had tacos for lunch???" First one is a flat statement. Second one, excitement. Third one, concern. Maybe these questions aren't even relevant to the inteview. But I am curious. Please and thank you.

Anastacia Tisdale

Hi! First time question asker here. I am currently in school to become an oligist and a lot of my classes are very heavy on the reading. Is there a way to make it easier to read long sections or just more enjoyable?

Paul Smith

Do "speed readers" retain as much of the passage as folks who read at a "normal" pace?

FaeryJessa

FTQA: Is it possible to read too much? Or be addicted to reading? Sometimes I wonder if it's just my drug of choice...

Kelsy Simpson

Why am I able to vividly imagine worlds/settings/scenese described through text, yet others that I talk to don't seem to do this? How does this impact comprehension and memory of what is read (if it does?)?

Matt Ceccato

Did "Hooked on Phonics" really work?

Paulina Krasińska-Sroka

Why can't I read & retain numbers, even though I'm an avid reader? I've always had it - i.e. if there's numeric date in text, my mind just goes past it. I know it's there, but I don't "hear" it in my mind while reading & can't recall what it was even two seconds later. Similar with phone numbers and such. It was a nightmare in school, now just a minor inconvenience. Does my neurodivergent-ADHD brain have anything to do with this?

Ryan Marlow

What do we know about the interior mental experience of people when they are reading? For instance, if I am reading a nonfiction book, I tend to experience it as though someone is reading it aloud in my mind (at a speaking pace, with various intonations based on the sentence structure, etc.), and if I am reading fiction, I tend to experience it as a movie where I am seeing the scene and events in my mind. So it is a process of text -> mental image/sound -> concept. Is this kind of thing common? Do others experience reading as simply text -> concept?

Dr. Lina Carpenter

I think talking about age-appropriateness of reading expectations could be a cool opportunity to mention the way some schools (like Waldorf) approach reading too!! (Waldorf starts with exposure to writing via art and teaches reading later.)

Kelsy Simpson

Oooh second this question!! Great ask!

Taylor Morrison-Mooney

How much of a book should you read before you decide if it’s worth finishing or not? If I don’t like a book I’ll stop within 30 pages, but my boyfriend says you need to read at least 100 pages to know if a book is good or not, which I think is insane because even if the book isn’t good you may as well just finish at that point

Emily R

First-time question asker! Is there a science reason behind a reading slump? I used to read three or so books a week, and I'm just coming out of a slump where it took me 3 months to finish a single book. Is this just a motivational/time management problem, or is there anything in the mechanism of our brain's processing of the written word that explains this?

Taylor Morrison-Mooney

What are your thoughts on the “listening to audiobooks counts as reading” debate

Brandilyn Bennett

What do you think about the ways that schools interact (in a negative way) with people's love for reading? I know a lot of people who hate reading simply bc of their experiences with it in k-12.

Taylor Clinton

How come I was much “better” at reading when I was a child, but now I feel like I read slower than the average person my age (26yo)? By “better”, I mean that I used to be able to read faster and retain the info better than now. I feel like it takes me a long time to read something compared to before, and even if I understand and retain the info in the moment, details get lost over time and I feel the need to reread a book entirely :/

Kaitlyn Oaks

I used to love reading as a kid and teenager. Once I went through college, nursing school and my masters it feels like the joy of reading has been sucked out of me. Is there any evidence that backs this up? I’ve been trying to get back into reading now that I’m out of school because I loved it so much, but it has been hard.

Diana Deacon

I’m interested in the neuroscience of reading. In particular, why do readers often have such a strong mental picture of characters, to the point that massive discussions about ‘fantasy casting’ occur between fans of various authors? Are the visual centers for reading linked to those for visualization? Does this effect change depending on the format of reading, i.e. text vs. audiobooks?

Ella Sugerman

Can the ologist explain why fonts designed for dyslexic folks are or are not effective? Thanks!

Cate Muenker

I definitely count it as reading. I'm still absorbing the same information, just taking it in with my ears instead of my eyes. I have "read" and often "reread" at least 3 books per week thanks to audiobooks. It's all I do besides wait for more ologies episodes :)

The Other Maya

Seconded. I am that kid, and I was totally discarded by public education. I didn't get school right until my 30s and now I'm an engineer. I don't regret all of the other things I did in my teens and 20s, but there's also so much heartache and shame and truly believing that I'm an un-smart person in the middle between then and now. I actually am putting off adopting until I can afford private school, because both my husband I are so damaged by public school. Thank you for asking this.

Average_pi

Why can I hear that little voice saying the words in my head? How are reading silently and aloud different ?

Lori Sacco

First time questioner! What are your thoughts on the "quality" of the material you read? I'm an avid reader and as a child was told that reading Comics "didn't count". I still read the funny papers everyday btw.

Shannon O'Grady

I am a special ed teacher who is constantly frustrated by reading systems and how they ignore special ed students. I completed the Wilson Reading System training program this year and it completely works with my kids! what are your thoughts on OG and WRS?

Jean Caruso

Why is it that whenever I read, I feel like I can hear the characters even though they've never spoken aloud?

Laura

Why can I never read more than 3 consecutive pages without falling asleep?? I love reading, but these days it takes me several months to get through a standard length book :(

curly fry

What is the process people go through to learn to read?

curly fry

Can you explain a bit about how dislexyia works?

curly fry

What is your favorite book trope?

curly fry

What is happening in the mind when you are reading?

Megan Lynch

I'd love some discussion of what differences, if any, are involved in reading skills when it comes to things written with different writing systems. Roman, Cyrillic, Kanji, Devanāgarī, etc.

Noelle

Do people with no internal monologue still hear reading voices in their head?

Nerdy_Megs

First Time Question Asker! When I read, I often get so into it that it's like I'm watching a movie inside my head. Other than "active imagination," is there a name for this phenomenon? Or for people who experience reading like this?

Noelle

Do our brains respond differently to reading words on a page vs. a screen?

Andi Hernandez

Hi Ali, first time question asker! Do different alphabets/scripts affect how the brain processes reading in different languages? For example, individual characters of the Latin alphabet vs. the connected script of Arabic vs. traditional Chinese which is both symbolic and has no spaces?

Jasmine Liu

Do you think reading can become unhealthy if it is used to often as a way to escape reality?

Paul Hoffman

What’s with the shaming of people who move their lips when they read?

Jasmine Liu

Why won't my brain let me read since the pandemic when I've spent most of my life constantly reading?

Jasmine Liu

Does reading in dim light make your eye sight worse/where did this warning my mom always told me come from?

AB

You are exactly the type of person I’m thinking of with this! Obviously smart, Problem solver, and schools totally failed you. I know a few kids currently dealing with with and it’s heart breaking, there has to be a better way.

Jasmine Liu

If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Cori

First time asker - what is going on in babies and kids brains that is so good for them when we read to them?

Rachel Skiles

Why do I want to be friends with fictional characters in books SO MUCH MORE than I want to be friends with most real humans? What’s that about?

Megan Skye

Are there differences in how humans learn to read languages that are read left to right vs. right to left? One of my kiddos is learning to read English and she seems to want to read right to left, wondering if there is a direction that is more “natural”

Mushroom Morgan

I've used OG and had pretty good success with it but I'd love to know more!

Mushroom Morgan

Are there any benefits to rereading books? (My dad has always made fun of me for doing so but i think it's nice to experience the story again)

JT

Seconding this question!! My partner has trouble scanning lines with her eyes, so she uses an e-reader that talks while she scans, or she just sticks with audiobooks. In our house this is called "ear reading." My partner and many other amazingly brilliant people I know were shamed in school because the circuits that let many of us do this neat trick with our eyeballs and visual symbol patterns doesn't work the same for everybody, so this seemingly simple terminology thing is a big deal for me!

Kylie Chapman

Bionic Reading, what's up with that? why does it work?

michaela a. gabriel

How does the brain deal with learning to read in two different sets of letters, eg Cyrillic and Japanese, or Arabic and Latin at the same time, eg bilingual kids?

Milan Ilnyckyj

Once we know a language or languages, do we think in words? Sometimes it feels like my thoughts *are* words in a particular language, and other times they feel like something else which gets described or translated as language. Have any scientific commonalities been documented in how people who speak a particular language think?

AJ Gray

What are some ways in which reading informs the way we speak and think? If I only read books written by someone who lived in early 1800s eastern Pennsylvania, would I talk or think like a person from there/then? Why/why not?

Devin McPeek

Is it true that some people don’t have a voice in their head when they read? Or is that a myth?

Shirley-Luz Enombo

First time asker (by that I mean you’ve never said my name!) Can you comment on the balanced literacy vs phonics reckoning that’s going on now?

Mushroom Morgan

Library science grad student here! What are your thoughts on reading graphic novels vs regular books? I'm always trying to convince parents of kids that i work with that graphic novels can be just as good as regular novels!

Elisabeth Westner

* I have two questions: how come some people can read backwards, upside down, and mirror-images and other people can't? And also, my friend complains to me a lot that her cousin reads a lot to his seven y.o. and the kid doesn't do much reading on his own or to other people. She is convinced that the kid will be behind in reading because of that and I say that it's perfectly fine to read TO a kid, that being read to also helps a kid learn to read (or even just learn to love to read), and that she should stop worrying about it. Who is correct here? (Fwiw, the kid is far above his grade level in math and regularly beats adults at chess, so he's obviously a smart kid.)

Devin McPeek

Can you briefly describe and/or explain the neural pathway that happens when someone reads a word? Where does it go? How does it get encoded and interpreted?

Ruby Johnstone

Does reading daily really improve brain elasticity?

Sarah Jo

What proportion of people visualize what they’re reading? Alternatively, any fun facts/stats about visualization while reading?

Elisabeth Westner

(I'm not a first-time asker but have never had my name read on the podcast.)

Andi Hernandez

Does growing up reading different languages--especially languages that don't share an alphabet/script--affect how the brain processes written information?

Madeline DLC

How do people hear characters voices in their head when they are reading stories? Also sometimes I "see" what's happening in my mind when I am reading stories. What is happening?

The Other Maya

I love so much that you said this and you are advocating for your partner, because every time you do that, people that sare this experience - like me - get a boost. (I'm not crying (I lied))

Dantooine

Is speed reading a thing?

Euan Munro

Are there any other animals apart from humans that can read? Does some animals understand some symbols count as reading?

Catherine Wood

As a pending parent, what signs should I keep an eye out for that might indicate my child has a reading disorder or dyslexia? I don't want to assume all reading challenges are "diagnosable" so are there specific behaviors or indicators that can serve as flags?

Elisabeth Westner

My mother the English major always calls that stuff "chewing gum for the brain" and always approved that I was at least reading (any Babysitters' Club fans out there?). I too wonder about this!

Brian Linton

Why is it that I can retain info better if I write it down? I can read something and if I write a short outline or note I remember it better even if I throw the note away?

ScienceInTheArt

With the growing and competing forms of media in the past few decades, is book reading on the decline?

Todd Peterson

OK, so there's a Missing Persons song (Words) with the line "it's like the feeling at the end of the page when you realize you don't know what you just read. This is a thing! Maybe it's because I'm an overthinker or I have a little bit of undiagnosed ADD or who knows, but I've certainly had this happen. How is it that a person can be distracted by something else, but still be reading (or at least something resembling reading) and not have grocked a single thing? Are we actually reading when this happens, or are our eyes just on autopilot?

Devin McPeek

How does the type of alphabet/written characters affect how someone learns to read? Does it affect how the brain gets wired when someone is learning to read? For example, when reading characters like kanji in some Asian languages, does it trigger a separate neural pathway than, say, reading words in the Roman alphabet in Germanic and Romance languages? Or is it essentially the same pathway?

Abbe

Why am I such a slow reader? Whenever I try to read faster, I can’t retain much of the information.

Elisabeth Westner

One more question: How come sometimes I can be completely and totally reading something but because I am concentrating on something else I completely and totally read entire paragraphs and at the same time totally not actually read them?

Dantooine

How come I can read a whole chapter in a book but I don’t take any of it in because my thoughts or daydreams take me somewhere else?

Elta Sparks

HECK YES IM SO EXCITED! I have done reading tutoring/intervention and I'm currently in a grad program for teaching English language learners. I have three questions: This may be flim flam but. I've heard that our brains are not naturally wired to read. Is that true? My other question is about early reading. I've had students who can tell me each sound in the word individually, but then they can't put the sounds together to make a whole word. I mostly noticed this with kindergarten students. Is it a developmental thing or is that a sign of some kind of learning disorder? Thank you!! I truly cannot wait for this episode. 🤩

Lindsay Thomas

I used to be an avid reader, but got out of the habit in the past couple of years. Any tips for getting back into the swing of things?

Kyle

Oh this is good, I have visual memories of events from book. Memories of what the room looked like and who was standing where. Memories of events that never existing.

Matthew Thompson

I love reading. Buuuut I work as a writer and editor. After a day hunting down and correcting mistakes, I often don't feel like reading for fun. I'm working on moving into a new job, which I hope will help. In the meantime, what can someone do to reignite their love of reading even when they work with words all day or just generally feel burned out?

Cat Kessler

What do people get wrong about dyslexia?

Sarah Chaney

Since literacy and reading as the standard/norm is relatively recent in human evolution how has this altered our brains and the way we think/learn? Also, thinking about that somehow gives me hope for our brain's capacity to change/adapt in the face of the new ubiquitous digital media. Will our brains just adapt to social media dopamine hits the way we have adapted to literacy?

Elta Sparks

Oh actually I've got another one!! Why does the bionic (partially bolded) font help ADHD/speed readers so much? It halted my brain the first time I saw it. Really incredible!

Pacheecha

Is simply ingesting literary words still considered reading? I am a huge "reader" and although i prefer to use my eyes to read, i have certain friends who poo poo audiobooks and say "that's not actually reading". If the information still gets in our heads and we don't use our eyes is that still "reading"? And that actually begs the question about Braille which would be reading with one's fingers. I don't think I would ever shame someone who is blind by saying "that's not actually reading"! Please enlighten us all! Also, I am a sub vocalizer and wonder if I can train myself to read faster by not doing that. Honestly, I kind of enjoy hearing the words in my head, but I still wonder!

The Other Maya

Seconded. And when we loose indigenous languages are we also loosing thoughts. I feel like we are, but I want to hear it scienced.

Jessie Cole

As an avid reader, and a kid who grew up being read the Hobbit and such by my Dad nightly at bedtime, I consider it reading whether I am opening a physical paper book, eReader, or listening to an audiobook. Is this justified or should I always state if I am listening to a book or reading it? Some people are very intense about this but I believe reading or listening to a book all happens in the same part of the brain. True, false? Opinion?

Amanda McClendon

Ancient people used to read out loud all the time--St. Augustine records an incident in Confessions where he watched someone read silently and was very weirded out by it. When did the switch happen (in western culture, at least, I don't know about others) and how do you think that shifted how we think about reading?

Nikki Paige

Why is it that some people *hear* the words as they read them, and others just parse the words soundlessly in their head? (I've always been a fast reader and I don't "hear" words in my head as I read. Which meant I read and understood a lot of words that I had NO IDEA how to pronounce. This becomes a problem if you're cold-reading the script of Our Town for an audition, are the first called up so you don't get to hear anyone else do it, and then MANGLE the pronunciation of "Presbyterian". No I didn't get the part 😑)

Elta Sparks

And yes it is very ADHD of me to say i had three questions and then only ask two 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Anne Jewett

First time questioning asker I’m severely dyslexic. Its takes a long time for me read a process information. I get really tired and frustrated that I can’t read faster or understand how to do written instructions. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts so I still can enjoy the stories. Why is there so much stigma with different learning styles.

Kari McCollum

First time question asker here! What is the deal with dyslexia? How come I can feel confident about reading a sentence, only to realize that I read it SO wrong? Sometimes I have to re-read the sentence a few times before I can get my brain to unsee the incorrect word.

Julie Noble

I’d like to know if there is evidence that a physical book is more fulfilling. Because for me, it’s the opposite. My ereader is easier for me to physically handle. lol I read hard copy books, but it’s rare and I get annoyed with them.

San Juan Josie

What are the early indicators of dyslexia? Are regular teachers getting the training they need to help children with delays or disorders?

Anne Jewett

Every since starting chemo therapy it been much harder to read and comprehend. Non of my doctors can tell me why.

kexi

I'm very much interested in the history of reading. Who could read at a given point in time? What type of texts were read most? How does this differ between cultures? When did reading for the fun of it really hit it off?

Silvia Triverio

Is there any difference between reading on paper or on a ereader? In terms of retaining information, but also speed of reading, or anything else. I feel that if I want to study a subject reading on paper and using a pencil to highlight makes a huge difference. Thanks

Kyle

How come sometimes my brain will subconsciously read something, like I drive by a sign and without reading it I now know that that gas station has buy one get one free muffin, but other times when I'm trying to read something I can read the same paragraph 3 or 4 times and my brain just can't take in the information?

Allie Paul

I've heard that the brain has the same chemical reaction when reading about falling in love as it does when actually falling in love. Is this true? Is it healthy to just love fictional characters instead of finding a partner in real life?

Alyssa Berg

Since I was a kid, I've struggled to read in print for more than a few minutes -- like it is IMPOSSIBLE for me. I was always super ashamed of it in school. In my 20s, I discovered audiobooks and it changed my life. Now I'm an AVID reader, I can read for hours, I retain everything, and I LOVE to read. My question is: Why can my brain read with my ears but not my eyes?

Maité Huerta

From my friend Ruby: is there a trick to reading and retaining large amounts of text?

kexi

Uh, I never noticed this. But I guess it's the same for me? Like actually "reading out" dates in a text is too slow for my brain. It just notices the numbers and goes on with the next word.

Julie Noble

Love this and want to see what the answer is!! I told students they needed to stick with it until the page number that was double their age. Easy to remember and increase the number as their books get longer. It works for adults, too, although I’d cap it at 60-75 pages once you’re out of your 30s.

Pam Murray

Oh my gosh, I'm so happy you're covering this. My question is - how do we move teachers towards research based instructional practices when they're committed to practices like whole language and 3 cueing that have been proven to be ineffective? Why do these ineffective practices still dominate education when the research says they are ineffective or even damaging to students?

Anthony P

There are often articles floating around about how reading more can make your more empathetic, is there any truth to these claims or is it flim flam?

Caitie McCaffrey

I've heard that reading on a digital screen leads to less information retention than on paper. Is this true?

Caitie McCaffrey

Does listening to an audio book count as reading the book? Is there any science that shows differences in comprehension?

Gretchen Schroeder

First time questions asked! What is the relationship/corollation between dyslexia and pictogram/symbolic languages, vs. phonetic languages?

Claire Berman

First time question asker! I am one of those people who always has the subtitles on when I watch anything (including in my native language of American English) because it allows me to catch every single word. A recent Atlantic article decried the way many of us use subtitles for everything in pretty strong terms. Why is this so polarizing? Is there actually any evidence that reading words on a screen as characters say them causes our brains to lose some of the meaning from the artistic choices of the director and actors? (article: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/watching-movies-tv-with-subtitles/674301/)

Julie Noble

Why do we like book club and discussion groups? What is it we enjoy about experiencing a book with other people?

The Other Maya

Is scrabble actually fun, and why? How is it that most people can just put words together on the fly, and why is it that every word I know how to spell I've had to memorize and have to use a thesaurus as well as a spell checker to avoid homonyms in emails. I.e. please explain dyslexia, but if we can do it in an additive way by explaining what "normal" people have, instead of what I lack, that would be great. I'm well aware of my shortcomings. I still don't know what this actually is, and I'm an honorary 40.

Lizzie

Why does one more chapter turn into 5am and I'm still reading? Also, why do I skip to the end to see who is still standing?

Caitie McCaffrey

There was a research paper that showed that people listening to the same narrative had their heartbeats sync up. Any indication that reading does same thing?

Jake Rideout

What are some ways that I, an elementary school librarian, can defend my job (and reading for pleasure) with science?

Gretchen Schroeder

First time question asker: what is the difference in decoding/dyslexia issues in pictogram/symbolic based languages vs. phonetic languages?

Olivier Calas

How healthy to read several books at the same time?

Jennifer Piacente

My husband is dyslexic and has always struggled with and been insecure about reading out loud. It’s something he would like to get better at but doesn’t know how. Is there something he could do that could help him with this?

The Other Maya

What's this? This is like the 4th or 12th reply I've made to a post - I've lost track. What are these idea/words nouns of instruction and are there actually DIFFERENT WAYS TO READ?? as this question implies by naming differing instructional methodologies

Olga

What are the benefits for kids who start reading young, or just kids who read a lot in general? Does it aid in development at all?

Marissa Laws

Very excited for this Ology as someone who is already familiar with the neuroscience of reading/developmental dyslexia! My question pertains to recent research showing that there's not a lot of consistency across studies/participants in terms of which brain regions are altered in dyslexia. What are your thoughts on the amount of heterogeneity in dyslexia, and how we're defining it in research vs. in school settings? Do you think our current measures and definitions are helpful? Thanks!!

Stephanie Leské

Omg my favourite pastime 🥹 so excited! Is it worth finishing a book you've started even if you're not enjoying it or enjoying the writing just because you're say half way through? Also how can I absolutely love a book & them try to recall characters names, places set a few months & a few books later & can barely remember anything but loving it? Do I need my memory checked? Also please tell me good book hangover is a real thing because it feels it to me! ♡ like you can't face starting a new book until you've given the one you've finished time to settle!

Steven Hansen

What is the difference between numbers and words? I am a terrible reader and speller but good at math. When looking up how to spell a word I can only remember 3-4 letters at a time and even then I get them jumbled. Give me a 10-digit number, 3-4 seconds, and I will memorize the whole thing.

A_rexis

Please rule, for once and all, are audiobooks reading? I enjoy a diagnosis of ADHD and a reading comprehension disorder, and find audiobooks a godsend. I consider this still "reading".

Nicole Kleinman

Audio books VS traditional reading - is one better than the other?

A_rexis

Also, can the ability to read in different languages make any important changes in your brain?

Andrew Gilmore

Is there any research showing a difference in comprehension when reading a physical book or printed text and an e-book or other screen text. Does making margin notes and highlighting text on paper make a greater impact on retention than the equivalent counterpart using electronic media?

Kati D

(1st time question asker) How/why do some people learn to read sooner than others? Is it mostly just a matter of exposure/parental encouragement,/time spent practicing, or is there more to it?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

What is the ologist’s favourite book? Also, what is Dad Ward’s favourite book??

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Why does the formatting and typesetting of a book make such a difference to the reading experience?

Catie Noble

Does speed reading (specifically the kind where you don’t read each word aloud in your head) actually allow you to absorb more info in a shorter amount of time? Or is it better to read more slowly?

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Oh that’s a great point that I’ve never thought of before! Having a book read to you & reading it yourself both count as reading, so why not audiobooks?

J

During one of my andragogy courses, we learned that you don’t actually have to read every single word in a textbook/journal. Do you have any tips on how to teach reading techniques and how to convince other nursing professors that forcing students to read 200 pages in a week is ridiculously counterintuitive? My students and fellow teachers have a hard time letting go of this habit.

Mariah Nunez

YAY! Sending in my first question on my favorite thing in the world! How do translated texts affect reading comprehension/perception of a book or story? I am currently reading The Master and Margarita which was originally written in Russian and translated to English - I can definitely tell the different between reading a book originally written in English (my native language) and one written in a different language and translated after the fact.

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

Hello fellow writer/editor! How annoying is it when you spot an error in a book?! It’s all I can hyper-fixate on after that.

Anastasia Press

Why can some people imagine what they're reading in extreme clarity, while other people can't envision very well at all? Like, when I read, I can sort of imagine things but there's a black filter over everything. I thought my partner was messing with me when he said his mental image was as clear as a movie. What's going on???

Saira (‘Sarah’) Manns

My question: FONTS!? Why / how they make such a difference to the reading process? Why is sans-serif preferred on-screen and serif on paper? Also, I’d love to hear more about the font they developed to help dyslexic peeps

kexi

For me this is the same for some texts, and then for others I do get no image at all...

RotWeisseWaffel

First time question asker! Is there a month in which people read the most? I'm pretty sure December is the month in which the most books are bought (as gifts) but I'd guess it's also a month with less reading because of all the celebrations (in places that celebrate Christmas, anyway).

Lori Anderson

Why do I skip words when I read? I get to the end of the page and I know what happened, but I rarely read every word on a page.

Lauren Seibert

What genre of books is the most popular to read in the US?? Or world

Pam Murray

There aren't really different ways to read. But, there ARE different philosophies in education about how to teach reading - to the point that there was actually something referred to as "The Reading Wars" with different schools of thought arguing. Research put an end to the debate, or it should have, by showing what research-based reading instruction should look like, but unfortunately a lot of educators haven't gotten the memo and are married to outdated ineffective methods (like guessing a word instead of sounding it out) even though the research is very, very clear on how reading should be taught. There's a good podcast called "Sold a Story" that goes into this. It's not as good a podcast as Ologies, but you know, if you need something to listen to between episodes...

Gina Ahn

When you write by hand, your brain remembers making the letters and words. When you’re typing, your brain remembers hitting the keys. If only all the keys looked/felt different

Jeanne Raymond

OMG speed reading ... Is there actually a valid way to teach that? I took a "class" in college and the instructor basically handed us a workbook and cassette tape (dating myself) and told us to practice reading along with a sped up dictation. 30 years later and still fuming a little.

Aeriel Belk

What do you think of the concept of the four doorways to reading (i.e., story, character, setting, language)? Does this accurately describe what makes us love certain books?

Aeriel Belk

What is your favorite reading gadget? Like, a book pillow or good bookmark or the perfect book light or something

Sonja

Why does dyslexia effect reading and spelling but not other areas like math? Also along with the other questions on fonts, why do fonts and background colors make such a big difference for reading (especially for dyslexic people like me)???

The Other Maya

ALSO my husband and I are both dyslexic but it seems to effect us differently. Can we get into that, is it a thing? The TL;DR: I'm very sensitive to language sounds and can pick out different languages in a crowd. Even though I don't necessarily speak the languages I can identify, I can pick out Korean from Japanese from Tagalog from Vietnamese on a train, and I can pick out Arabic from Farsi at the library. He can't hear non-english sounds the way I can, and his mind makes non-english words into English words. He has a really hard time with accents. I have more difficulty reading from a screen than paper and he finds reading from a screen much easier. We're also both very smart in our own very strange ways.

James Eva

FTQA. Bionic reading, what’s the crack? My ADHD mind loves the thing and seems to be able to read a lost faster while actually retaining the content.

Gina Ahn

FTQA: there used to be a lot of infomercials in the 90’s about speed reading programs and Hooked on Phonics. Did they work, or is that why don’t see them anymore?

Kelsey lore

I have always heard how important it is to read to your child, and absolutely always buy books for all of the babies and children in my life, but I have questions! How does reading to a newborn benefit them? Is it just the one on one time with someone? Or normalizing reading as a hobby/activity from a young age? Or is there a more specific reason?

Paige Van Horn

Tips for getting kids interested in reading? Also tips or tricks to help kids with dyslexia?

Sara Edgar

Are there any reading test to help determine if a first generation student has dyslexia vs learning the language or if they're confusing the languages in there brain while reading out loud?

Derek Caputi

Is the physical act of reading beneficial to the brain, or is it more of the content? Do you get any less out of an audiobook?

Charli

Also, when it comes to standardized testing (like the SAT/ACT), do the "reading" sections acurately assess this skill? What does it mean to be a good reader??

Nina Eve Z.

Um, I WANT YOUR JOB! How do I become a reading-ologist? (Recently completed my MLIS)

Ry_ofthetiger

Do people with an internal monologue read differently from people without one? I know for me, I’m internally hearing a narrator when I read, which then directs the images and feelings I get from the material. Is it like that for everybody?

Alicen Meysing

Why do we read from left to right in English? Have we always done that? And is it a common set-up in other languages as well? Thanks!

Nina Eve Z.

Also, Scholastic book fairs, are they really the worst?

Sonjabird

How do i become a faster reader?

Cate Muenker

For my son, who loves Stephen king novels, he has so much required reading -whether it’s LA novels or biology, Spanish, etc. for homework that he doesn’t want to read any novels for pleasure during high school. He de-stresses with video games or scrolling on his phone when not doing homework. Maybe kids have so many other choices these days with podcasts, streaming channels, video games, VR, phones, etc. There’s no time for reading.

Kai

Is "getting lost in a book" to the point you lose perception around you a common thing?

Joel Anderson

Why is it easier to read aloud than in my head?

Kai

Book recommendations please and thank you

Kai

And any genres that they feel are particularly well written in general!

Neal Sorensen

OMG I'm very excited! I have Dyslexia, a reading disability. I often read with text-to-speech software. How does using technologies like an ebook impact or change the way a brain responds to reading as an activity?

Nick A

Why can I only read at the pace I can hear the words spoken in my head (as though I'm reading them aloud but without actually speaking the words)? Why can't I "speed read"?

Mandii Smith

For the life of me I can not stay awake when reading. Even if I’m not that tired, if I start reading I will almost always fall asleep. Is it something about reading or do I have sleep problems?

Colleen Denny

Why do I feel like reading a book is a good use of my time while watching a TV show/movie feels like a waste of time?

Neal Sorensen

I love this question! I'm a fellow dyslexic. I have read that OpenDyslexic font is not based on any science. Personally I hate reading with it... Gimme Verdana or Arial any day.

Paula M

Why some great readers are terrible spellers? Can reading actually help with writing? Are challenges with decoding related to this?

Katie Collins

Tips or tricks to help people with ADHD better focus on and digest what they are reading?

Sam

Is there any connection between reading books and reading music? And do numbers have any similar connections?

M.P., PhD

Do you consider it “reading” if someone is listening to an audiobook? Also, is there an annotation system for better retention and recall when reading audiobooks?

Milan Ilnyckyj

What are some tips for spending more time reading books we have and are part-way through as opposed to ephemeral news or online content?

Susannah Ball

Why can’t I read for more than 20 minutes no matter how fascinating the subject?

Melissa Thompson

Night time reader and first time question asker! Is it better for sleep health to read a paper book with a lamp before bed or am I ok to keep using my kindle with the sepia tone?

Melissa Thompson

How effective is speed reading? My dad was taught the skill when he was in school.

Dylan V

FTQA: Why do I get so distracted when I read? Even if I really want to focus for work, or am reading my favorite novel, my brain will start to think about other things and I have to start back at the last paragraph (or a whole page if I'm tired).

Madeline DLC

It's weird right? I'm reading words and my brain is painting a mental picture. Especially with setting descriptions and action/fight scenes :)

R P Bergmann

why do I get lost in the middle of the page so often?

Kari Henke

what makes some people better at reading than others? Can slow reading adults increase their speed?

Nathalie Jones

How early can children actually learn how to read? Apparently I learned when I was 3 or 4?? But that can't be right.

Amanda

Does everyone hear their voice in their head when they read?

Julia Vollmer

I am the world's slowest reader and I'd love to read faster while still comprehending the book I'm reading. How can I achieve this?!

Matthew Thompson

I've totally thought about editing books and sending them back to publishers with a note saying "Hey, you need an editor! Guess what I do?!"

Neil Harvey

And for people who don't experience this but would like to... can you train your brain to get this level of immersion?

Neil Harvey

Do intense people read nonfiction and fun bubbly people read beach read fiction? Or is it the other way round? Do you enhance or balance your personality with your choices?

Kai

What is your worst "I've only read this word, never said it aloud" moment?

Jeanné Lewis

Why does reading make me sleepy?

Patricia Evans

Have there been any studies about the impact of reading on dreams - does what you read just before going to sleep influence or show up in your dreams?

Jeanné Lewis

I learned to read with phonics, and reading has always been pretty easy for me. But apparently there are other ways to learn to read? Which way is better? Does it depend on the person?

Charles Grantham

I’ve have said this many times over the years and it is still true: My single natural born talent is that I can read multiple books at any given time and keep track of them. I have at least a dozen books in rotation right now. I can put a book down and pick it up a year later and still be up to speed. However, (HUGE however) this talent does not in any way whatsoever carry over into other areas of my life. Is this a thing? What the hell is wrong with me?

Katherine Westfall

First time question-asker: 1. Is is possible for a child to teach themselves to read? 2. What’s the best way to help someone (kid or adult) become a reader? I am and always have been a voracious reader and most people I know either read a lot, don’t like reading or wish they read more. Reading is one of my greatest joys and I’d love for more people to have that gift too.

Scot Nickels

I have a reading disability where I don’t process the words on a page well. Letters in each word keep drifting about so it takes time to capture everything to decider the word and then move on to the next. It is exhausting! When I was young I hated reading because of it. Speed reading the entire row of a book, as I understand many people do, is impossible for me. These days I love books and reading now that I know what I have, but it’s still slow. In the past some teachers made me read in front of the class, and everyone just laughed and thought I was stupid, including me. I was good at other things, thank god. I did not know I had this condition until I was almost 40 years old when I recognized my daughter doing similar things. They now have tests for this type of dyslexia, as they call it now, and she got great help in school I wish I had. Do scientists know more about this condition today? To me, it’s another case of needing to open the spaces for more diversity and complexity because standardized reading tests, or really any standardized test, does not always capture each of us. Is this changing?Where can I find more information on this? I’d love to read it!

Olivia Eliasson

Why haven't we all gone to using speed reading tools? Like rapid serial visualisation presentation (RSVP)

Lazer Introlegator

Can you explain the fight over phonics and why American children may have been taught to read incorrectly for several decades?

Beck

I teach ESL to adults and some students come to my class completely illiterate - they are not only learning to speak a new language, but how to read and write any language for the very first time as adults, some in their 50s and older! Are they superheros? (Okay that was kind of just me wanting to brag about my students but I also have a real question) Real question: is information stored in our brains differently when we read with our eyeballs vs our earballs (like listening to audiobooks)? Is one generally more effective than the other, or does it entirely depend on the person and/or context?

Annalise De Young

I'm curious about reading in languages that don't go left-right, are there any studies on how this might be different for the brain? Is left-right the easiest/most efficient way to read?

Julie Noble

Who decides what person gets to translate a book? What makes a person “a translator”? Especially when a book changes meaning/word choice from one translator to another.

Scott Duncan

How does listening to books compare to reading when it comes to learning?

joe reisinger

At what point is there a cap of reading and information absorption? Like is there a limit to reading?! Some people can finish a book in a day and I take quite a while to read but I absorb everything. Why is that?

Renee dyke

Hey Alie, love you. So my friend is one of those that doesn’t have an inner voice and said when she’s reading a book she can’t really ‘imagine’ in her head as she’s reading and will often stop and consciously think about the scene in her head (whereas I can imagine on the fly). Is there any cool research on the intersection of reading and inner voice/no inner voice? ( also is there an ology for that?!)

The Best Intentions

Why are some people good at reading quickly and others not. I'm a very slow reader, despite trying some speed reading tricks. I'm just a slow reader.

Kari rhymes with safari

Do people read for fun differently than they do for learning? (for example, reading a novel vs reading a textbook; reading a comic book vs reading a white paper for work)

Marxe Orbach

I feel like I kind of enter a trance and go to a different world while I'm reading a good book- what does my brain look like when I'm engaged with my reading? What about if I'm reading but not super engaged?

Jess Loeffler

E-reader reading / screen reading vs paper reading. Why does it feel so different? My concentration is so much better when I'm using a paper book. Or even when I print off papers, I feel like I'm comprehending so much better. Is it just the distractions? or does the light have something to do with it?

Kristen Rosenblum

What is the difference in the brain for people who read and see pictures while they read vs people who read and understand the words (do not see a movie in their head)?

Matthew Winn

How does the development of reading depend on whether your language uses a phonic alphabet like Spanish or Italian, versus a partial phonic alphabet like French, versus whole-word symbols like Mandarin?

taylor

How do you feel about people who create reading materials for elementary schools who don’t actually know much about how we learn to read? As an educator I’m worried some of these programs seriously hinder our children!!

Kristen Rosenblum

I’ve head humans evolved to be able to speak to each other and understand speech well, but reading and writing are not skills we evolved with, and so take much more time and effort to learn. Is this true? What are done if the mechanisms in the brain that allow us to read and write if it’s not already a hardwired skill in our brains (like talking, hearing, seeing, walking, etc)

Ashley

Was there ever the stigma on reading like there is today for screens or phones? Did people think reading too much would rot your eyes? Or make you miss things in life?

Mike Weichel

Do the special fonts for Dyslexic readers really work? If so, is there anything being done to maker their use more wide spread?

Jessica Cordero-Wilson

I’ve loved to read my entire life (currently 30yo)—but for the life of me I cannot comprehend Shakespeare. I’ve tried spark notes. I enjoy Shakespeare spin offs (like the lion king and 10 things I hate about you). But I never been able to comprehend actual Shakespeare text. What’s happening here?? (I have adhd if that helps maybe?) (also please don’t come for me)

Erin Johnston

Has there been a study done on audiobooks vs hardcopy books and reader enjoyment?

Mandee Young

FTQA :) - How does the exposure to reading and the support of it at a young age impact people later on?Are there any differences say with personalities or interests of people who were young readers? Does reading make the person or do certain people gravitate to reading?

Leanna Shuster

Could you comment on the fact that most Western languages are written and read from left to right, yet languages like Hebrew are right to left. Are there any neurological differences in how our brains process the different directions?

Frankie Sellitto

What causes hyperlexia? Why is it associated with ASD?

Emersonsrd

Speed reading. Is it a real, learnable technique where you can absorb the information on the page much more quickly OR is it just skimming with a fancy name? OR are those 2 things the same and I'm missing the point?

Matthew Thompson

And I know someone who is the opposite, discalculia. Her brain doesn't interpret numbers easily, but she's a voracious reader with no problems in that area. What's simple math to me is very challenging for her though. Brains are weird!

Sasha

Are books better at transferring moral values than other media? In other words does reading make you a better person?

Dave Schuster

I used to get carsick reading in the car until I got glasses. My daughter gets sick reading in the car unless she's chewing gum. What the heck is going on?

David M Williams

Interior monologue readers vs no interior monologue readers - does one read/retain in different ways?

Hannah Johnson

Same here! I can stay awake while listening to audiobooks, but if I try to physically read, it feels like I'm being gently rocked to sleep lol

Barb Chang

I read similarly! I've always thought my self-vocalization slows down my pace. Is there a way to reduce this and speed up my reading?

Olivia

Why is it that sometimes readers are able to imagine so clearly what's on the page and forget that you're reading, while other times you are so aware that you're staring at words on a piece of paper? Is there a way to really Get in that zone of imagination? I would like more fantasy and less paper awareness, please.

Jacintha Jaa

I recently read a scholarly article that implied reading may improve memory. Do you feel there may be a correlation between avid reading and possibly avoiding dementia later in life?

Stefanie B

FTQA - Over the years, we've seen educational trends shift in reading (and everything else). We've alternately used phonics and whole language, eschewing one for the other on what seems to be a regular basis. Is one better than the other in terms of results for the majority of children? Or does it depend on the child? What about for adults? And what about specialized systems such as Wilson Reading?

Krisztina Kun

Combining the speed reading and internal voice question - is there any correlation between them? My mom once told me that speed readers don't read with an internal voice and I've wondered about this ever since (slow reader with an internal voice)

Elven Eleven

How does a person’s reading change over their lifespan? Want changes have been seen in the last 25-50-100 years?

Allison Keane

Two questions: 1.)Why does my partner need to read every single word to comprehend text but I can skim a bit and still comprehend what I read?

Allison Keane

2.) What is contributing to low levels of adult literacy in the US?

Cynthia Cinnabar

How common is it for people to mispronounce words because they learned the word by reading it instead of hearing it, and why does this happen? Also, if you (PodDad and/or Ologist) have done this, what's the weirdest mispronunciation you've created?

Kieran H

Is speed reading witchcraft? I have a friend who can do it and I genuinely don’t understand. Are they actually comprehending everything they’re reading?

Jessie Dragon

Would our lovely Ologist have any advice about memorization with reading? As someone finishing their bachelor's and planning on doing their master's, this would be very helpful!

Megan Younce

I have no questions I'm just so excited because I've always been a very avid reader :)

Rachel von Morrigan

My inner dialogue usually finds the “right” voice and cadence while I’m reading and I think my imagination has held up, but when I get to a particularly interesting part my brain goes Full Muppet and I start reading too fast and have to continually backtrack. What gives?

Dominique McDermott

I echo the mispronouncing question! I've been using this as my excuse for decades. My Q is - is speed reading legit? I read (lol) that it wasn't and that basically something is being compromised in the comprehension process.

Dominique McDermott

With the rise of smart speakers and voice assistants... will reading eventually become a fine art/consumption form?

Nat Schaefer

If a family has a deep history of dyslexia, when and how would you recommend screening a child for it? Does the timeline recommendation for starting learning to read change for a child believed to be dyslexic (or at risk of dyslexia)? What resources would you recommend for parents who suspect dyslexia or who have a family history with it?

Riley McInnis

I have a reading disorder that doesn’t allow me to comprehend things as I read them, so it takes me a really long time to read most things, particularly if I’m not positive of words (so reading for grad school can be extra challenging). Any tool/resource recommendations to make things more accessible? (Can include mental exercises or something so it doesn’t feel like I’m just… unintelligent?)

Mariah Walzer

*I'm sure other people have asked, but what's the deal with the different levels of visualization people have when reading, e.g., from a scale of just reading words to a full-on movie? Also, is there a reason I used to movie read but now I get an occasional still image at best? Is that a typical part of getting older?

Mariah Walzer

Is there scientific evidence to support the claim that reading, especially reading fiction, increases empathy for other people?

Beth Wann

How do children learn to read without using phonics? How do they learn how to pronounce complicated words or any unfamiliar words without sounding them out?

Hope

i’m dyslexic and i enjoy reading but it is Effort so i do audiobooks a lot and have had friends tell me that they really don’t remember much from audiobooks so they aren’t a fan of them. is this a learning styles thing or maybe a memory practice thing?

Melissa

How can you retain what you read, and concentrate better? Sometimes I'll read a whole page and my mind will wander and I have to go back and start over... Sometimes multiple times... With fiction this is usually a sign that I'm not engaged, most of the time due to the real world butting into my fun time, but when I'm trying to read a non-fiction (DRY) book I just.... Can't. Retain. Anything.

Carolyn Armitage

I used to be a really good speller, but since I've been reading things printed in the UK, I misspell SO MANY THINGS. Why?

Melissa

Why do people feel the need to gatekeep reading, like if you listened to an audiobook you're somehow cheating? (It's so ablist.) Is it because historically reading was reserved for the elite?

Brenden O'Donnell

The debate between balanced literacy and the science of reading is making me feel icky. As a humanities teacher, I worry about making the learning of reading too science-y, yet I know that a lot of the approaches that don’t acknowledge the science of reading have been misguided in the past few decades. Still, isn’t there a balance between the two? Can we teach the love of reading AND phonics at the same time?

Mx. Artemisia

Do you think liking books is a personality trait?

Rebecca Cloud

I'm a librarian and I've always wondered about the science of reader's advisory. How are we able to use prior reading/knowledge to make suggestions for new reading with often limited information?

Earl of Greymalkin

1) Am I nearsighted because I had my nose in a book for most of my childhood? How does reading a lot (or working on computers) looking at things up close affect how our eyeballs work? 2) How important are public libraries to kids education and society at large? (Love me a library!) 3) How does reading support language acquisition? What parts of a language are absorbed most via reading? 4) Is spelling actually that important? ;D 5) What makes a language easier or harder to read very fast? 6) How literate were the common people or lowest classes of society in history? How were they using reading in everyday life? 7) Can we bring back Reading Rainbow? 8) How has the internet affected how people read things like the news and fictional stories? 9) How much reading is too much? (Hoping you say the limit does not exist, haha) 10) Can animals other than humans be taught to read? Where is the line between interpretation of pictographic symbols and 'reading'?

Lee T.

How was the reading Lexile score developed? And what does data say about its efficacy? What parts of the brain are active when we read? Does reading fiction truly impact one’s empathy, compassion, and ability to connect with others? And how has that been proven?

Archie George

I’m dyslexic and I feel that I take away different information when I read. Is there any research on how dyslexics process writing and what we retain?

Tyra pereira

Does skim reading something vs reading everything mean people retain less vs more information?

Hannah Riedl

First time question asker! Cure for tsunduku? My husband has it BAD. What is the best way to read books: as they come into your life, or diligently work through your stack (as I do; I do NOT have tsunduku, haha)? Reading to my 7 month old: does he get anything out of it; how do our brains go from not seeing a damn thing, to recognizing letters, to reading words, to imagining scenes beyond a picture books?

Between Dumplings

I'm S U C H a slow reader. (Law school was HELL!) What the hell is wrong with me? Someone suggested it has to do with ADHD, Is there a way to improve?

wendy Forman

First time questioner.. Does the guest know about the work of Sylvia Ashton-Warner who wrote the book "Teacher"? Teaching elementary school was my first career ages ago and I was so influenced by how she taught reading in such an organic way.

Between Dumplings

Ooh who remembers those boxes with increasingly difficult comprehension tests, color-coded dividers...?

Chloe Jones

Is it true that people who read more are more empathetic? Or might it be that people who are empathetic like to read more? Also, do we know what the personality demographics of book worms are? Like, do they tend to be more introverted, extroverted, optimist, pessimist, etc?

Trinaty

What parts of our brain are active while reading, in order to visualize characters, their voices, the scene being read? Basically, HOW BRAIN DO??

Megan H

Please tell me everything about alexia! The loss of the ability to read after a stroke or TBI.

Ceri Tully

Second time question asker, but the first time, I sorry to say Alie, you mispronounced my name. It’s totally okay, in my almost 35 years of life, I can count on one hand how many people have pronounced it correctly. It’s spelled ‘Ceri’ but pronounced like ‘Kerry’. I was born in England and my parents gave me a Welsh name (it’s short for Ceridwen). Blame them. My parents, not all Welsh people. Anywho, my question is: I am a graphic designer and all designers struggle with the fact that people do not like to read. They skim over blocks of text and don’t actually read the content we so painstakingly lay out. Any tips for making words beautiful AND more likely to be read?

Sage Scarberry

What is it called when you read something and your eyes dart around the page and you have to go back and re-read the same paragraph over and over?

Rebecca Morrison

FTQA - can you explain hyperlexia? Why was I today years old when I discovered I was a hyperlexic child?

Sage Scarberry

What traits make a person more or less likely to be into reading?

Sage Scarberry

There’s nothing wrong with you 🖤

Stephanie Coombes

Thomas: age 7. When you see a word how long does it take to go to your brain so you know what word it is?

Between Dumplings

Very kind of you. I am sort of joking but I would really be interested if there were a way to improve my reading speed. Stacks of books! Tsundoku energy is strong.

Between Dumplings

Tsundoku. Reading is great, picture books for 7 months, and you can tell him stories about what he's seeing but you're building a great habit with him!

Sage Scarberry

I’m bilingual - I speak English and German. Sometimes I insert German letter sounds into English words. (For instance, using -e at the end of the word to make the “uh” sound.”) Why? Lol and has anyone else experienced this?

RoadLesTravelled

I consider myself a 'slow reader'. I methodically read every word on the page. I know many readers (including my daughters) who read far faster than I do. I have no head / brain / eye injury (well, glasses because I'm near sighted). How common am I?

Sage Scarberry

Have you tried audiobooks? And for grad school - some e-textbooks have a feature to read out loud!

Arica Starlinger

Is reading a book with your eyes and listening to a book with your ears the same? Do they activate the same part of the brain? Are the same parts of the brain activated when watching a movie?

Sage Scarberry

I remember hearing a while back that your brain doesn’t read every letter in a word, it “takes a picture” of the whole word and assigns a mental image or meaning to it. I do this with sentences sometimes, too, and it’s how I’m able to speed-read or skim through things. (Sometimes the “picture” I take is wrong though lol.) Is that typical?

Arica Starlinger

What’s their favorite source for finding new books to read? I love the ologies Facebook group for getting book recommendations : D

Lizzie

What is hyperlexia and what are the criteria for it? Does hyperlexia impact reading comprehension?

Cobalt Finch

I used to read all the time growing up. I'm trying to get back into reading, so I'm rereading some book series that I really enjoyed before. Are there any tips for getting back into the habit of reading? Also, why does reading tend to make you fall asleep? I find this is especially common when I'm trying to read something for research at work or when I was in school, but even recreationally it often makes me feel tired.

Robyn Camaiani

Teacher first time question asker!!! Does research consider early habits of emergent readers? What they may be? There’s so much emphasis on reading earlier and earlier and less time on strengthening fine motor and coordination skills before asking children to track, decode, and comprehend text. Is this one of the issues causing so much literacy disparity?

Allie Brown

What is dyslexia? Like what’s happening there?

Mimz

Yes! Dyslexia, let's talk about it!! Why does it get so misdiagnosed with adhd?

emily burns

first time question asker! did i ever really learn how to read or have i just memorized a lot of words???? this legit keeps me up at night

Elizabeth Bos-Mar

So many questions about dyslexia, tell me all about it. How best to help a dyslexic person? How necessary is it to read, in this society? One of my daughter’s teachers feel that we should focus on assistive devices rather than pushing her to read. We want her to have at least a functional level of reading. We are doing both…. What is the best way to go? Is there a way to influence society & reduce the push/need to read? How does the ability/inability impact a persons mental health?

Will

I have always felt like I’m a slow reader. How can I learn to read faster?

Emily Staw-fur

How are fonts chosen in books? It seems like YA books are the only ones who don't pick times new roman

Emily Staw-fur

Do audiobooks tickle our brains in the same way books do?

Emily Staw-fur

Ever since I've switched to an e-reader, I feel like I get so many comments about people prefering old fashioned books. While I agree that nothing beats the smell of a new book, is there actually a literacy difference

Emily Staw-fur

Also on this note, can we talk about fonts designed for dyslexia? How can we normalize these?

call_me_carlisle

How do fatigue levels compare between reading for 8 hours straight (fiction and non-fiction) and bingeing TV for 8 hours? Whenever I’m sick of reading I feel like watching TV, but would be interested in how fatiguing this is in comparison.

call_me_carlisle

Any tips for just continuing to read journal articles for multiple hours straight? I find I fatigue after 30 minutes, but when I read other non-fiction I can read for hours.

call_me_carlisle

What components go into giving a book that signature smell? Can you change the smell of a book?

Emily Staw-fur

How can our brain skip over certain words without us noticing? Like there is the trick where you repeat a word in a second line of text like: Ologies is the the best podcast But our brain just ignores the second "the"

Emily Staw-fur

I remember in 5th grade part of our weekly writing work was proof reading essays and one week this was one of the mistakes and no one found it. Still salty to this day about it

Emily Staw-fur

From the brain's perspective, what is the difference between reading with sight versus braile? Are the same parts of the brain activated?

Kai

I read somewhere that the brain is similarly active whether reading or listening to a book and that it can’t really tell which you’re doing - is that true? And if it is… I’m curious about this: if you pair listening with a minimally taxing task – like cleaning, gardening, jigsaw puzzles etc – does this diminish how much info your noggin is taking in? Like, if there was a pop quiz at the end of the book, would I recall more or less detail from the story if listening with my ears while using my eyeballs to do Woodoku than when reading a physical book with my eyes? And if so, what role do my ears play while I'm reading with my eyes? Are they just snoozing in the stand-by lounge while my eyeballs do all the work? Does this then translate similarly for reading using braille?

Claire Douglas

FTQA: Do visual and auditory learners experience reading the same way? I'm an auditory learner and hear the words in my head while I'm reading. Does that happen for visual learners too? Can we tell the difference in brain scans between different kinds of readers/learners? How does this work with braille vs sight vs audio books?

Charlie Groth

Why does reading make me fall asleep?

Sleepy John

Do people who read in pictograms like Chinese hear the words inside their head like people who read in alphabetics (Roman, Cyrillic, etc.)? What is the pictogram equivalent of phonics/phonetics?

Kathy Clark

School librarian here - I constantly remind our parents that their kids read and reread (for the 100th time) books because they're seeing something new each time, and because the familiarity is comforting after a long day at school. I'm sure your father has reread books before, but won't admit it!

Kathy Clark

Why do people automatically think of fiction when you talk about reading (implication of "reading for pleasure"), but only think of non-fiction books as "work" or "school"? Are there differences in the way people approach fiction for school/work purposes? Or reading non-fiction for pleasure?

Mary

Ohhh...I don't have a question. I just wanted to say as a Librarian, I'm really excited about this one!! Some of the questions suggested we studied in grad school.

Stephanie

Does anyone else picture a flowing infinity symbol when they read from a book, to help with keeping the flow of words happening? Or its that just me?

Mary Valiente

In period movies and shows, there are often depictions of women being told not to read because it will “confuse their mind.” I’m interested to know when reading started becoming more accessible to and acceptable for women.

Greg Walloch

What's the difference between being hyperlexic and just being an exceptionally early reader? Is hyperlexia a problem?

Jarred Abrahams

How come sometimes when I read, I finish a paragraph and then realise I have no idea/can’t remember what I just read? HELP

Katt Simons

Why do we in the US push for kids to learn to read early, whereas I’ve heard places like Finland start years later? Is there a difference in how it sticks? I’d love to hear about the ‘whole words’ vs phonics fight going on in the world of teaching literacy.

Lizzy Carr

Is there a reason why certain languages are read right to left (like English) and others are read in other directions? Why/how did different systems develop like this? Does one direction make your brain "happier" than another one, or is it just what you're used to?

Michael Heiker

Does the smell of Paper when reading Books have a scientific Explanation / Name - especially when comparing it to eBook Readers that just don’t give that haptic and overall sensory experience of Books - ?

Lena Gwen

Can you really comprehend a text as good as you normally would while speed reading? (first time question asker)

Lena Gwen

Do people who learn to read at an earlier age turn out to be 'better' readers in the long run? (first time question asker)

Lena Gwen

When it comes to reading on a digital device vs. on analogue paper, are there any difference in the neurological processes? (first time question asker)

Lena Gwen

What is the best reading strategy? Meaning a strategy that helps you comprehend the content of a text (first time question asker)

Lena Gwen

I'm becoming an elementary teacher in Germany. It may be slightly besides the topic but I'm wondering how long students have to study to become teachers in the US. How long and what specifically do you have to study to teach children how to read? I've found varying answers on the internet (first time question asker)

Lena Gwen

What approaches are used to teach children to read in the US? I'm an 'almost teacher' in Germany (first time question asker)

Amy Narimatsu

It's recommended to read if you're having trouble falling asleep but personally it just makes me even more awake lol. I've stayed up for over 24 hours multiple times to finish a book. Is there science behind that?

Matt Hirschl

Being a Jewish person, how does reading from right to left instead of left to right impact the reading experience? Are different brain neurons high-fiving each other vs the traditional left to right reading?

Linda Geffin

What is the difference between how the brain processes content when listening to an audio book versus reading the same book? Is either way better for maintaining brain and cognitive health ? First time questioner , long time listener!

Sam Bringman

Are there plans to tackle any dips in literacy caused by online school during Covid? I work at an elementary school and it’s alarming to see how many kids are being passed through to the next grade even though they are obviously struggling. There’s just so many of them.

Rik

A good book I'll take months or a year and read again for a new viewpoint or something I might have missed. Or is this just my brain sweeping the last read off the brain-playing-field?

AussieColin

I've never understood people who can only read a book once - if I've enjoyed a book then I will happily re-read it many times, feeling like I'm re-visiting an old friend and always finding something new. For example, I would estimate I've read Lord of the Rings 40 or more times. Sometimes I get the urge to re-read a particular scene, continue reading to the end and then go back to the start and read through to where I began. :-D Classics from my teenage years such as Heinlein or Asimov have been devoured multiple times. It's one of my biggest regrets that I never wrote to them while they were still alive to tell them what a huge influence they'd been on my life.

AussieColin

People who've trained them selves to become speed readers interest me. I started devouring books when I was very young and, without ever intending to do so, I seem to have become a speed reader by just sheer volume. I read 3-4 books a week and get through a standard sized novel in about 3 hours yet, as far as I consciously notice, I'm not skimming text as I gather speed readers do. I'm guessing I may be doing so without realising it.

AussieColin

Interesting point - and how much does it depend on the narrator?

Jess Slattery

Ftqa! I generally don't think with visual images (no "pictures" in my head) but i still find reading more engaging than watching tv/movies, is there a science-y explanation for that?

Cat Lady

Hello! I'm not sure if this question belongs here, but here I go. I'm a high school English teacher, and so many of my students are reluctant to read, saying it's "boring," they're "not going to college, so why read," etc. I absolutely adore reading, and I respond by giving them the spiel about developing empathy, learning about the world, becoming more independent, and so forth. I understand that the majority of imprisoned people read at an elementary level (I know this has many other factors), and many students drop out because many of them aren't strong readers reading at grade-level contributes significantly to academic success. Do you think being able to read complex texts will remain as crucial to academic success, or will it become less and less important as technology, jobs, society continue advancing the way they have?

Cat Lady

Hello, fellow educator! I'm a high school English teacher in California. There are teacher credentialing programs we need to complete (takes about 2.5 years) and also exams to pass. 1 exam for people wanting to teach either elementary or secondary. I'm not sure about what one has to study to teach children how do read, but I'd assume that all this will be covered while enrolled in the teacher credentialing program. Hope this helps!

Lynn Rowicki

Is phonics legit? Is this how our brain learns to read or do we all learn to read in different ways? And if so, what are the different ways?

Nikki DeMarco

Why do some people read better with their ears (audiobooks) than with their eyes? It’s easier for me to read in audio and retain information.

Nikki DeMarco

Where do the stigmas about “good” books vs “trash” books come from? I’m a romance reader and am constantly defending them. (I assume the answer is the patriarchy et al)

Nikki DeMarco

How do I get thru something I am uninterested in AND remember what I read?

Nikki DeMarco

Tips for getting better at reading?

Joe Hummingbird

My youngest son has severe dyslexia. He's super smart, builds lego sets without instructions, but reading and letters are kryptonite. What's unique about the brains of those with dyslexia?

Kayla Pilcher

Why can some people see pictures in their head (like a movie) when they read and some people can't?

Kayla Pilcher

Which country has the highest reading literacy? How'd they get so good?

The Aerial Mapper

I am a huge bookworm so I’m really happy you’re doing an episode on this! I would like to know how reading affects the brain??? Like if I were in an MRI while I was reading what would we be able to see happening? New synapses? Cell regeneration? Are there some genres that are better for brain health than others?

Olivia

First time question asker!!! Why do I read and have to reread large sections of text? How do you best develop reading comprehension skills and is there a biological difference between people who can more easily comprehend what they read and people who struggle with that?

Monica

Why was I able to read voraciously as a kid and into my teen years and now when I try to sit and read now I don’t have the same attention span?

Carolyn Wanatee

Related - I see a lot of people make New Year’s resolutions around reading, so is there an increase in reading at the start of the year, and a drop off as the year goes on? (Asked lovingly by someone who never sticks to a resolution for an entire year)

Carolyn Wanatee

I read around 6 books at a time, which I guess my dad used to do too. I’m also curious about what is going on that allows me to do that because most people find it very unusual.

Janna Wisniewski

Are there differences in how a child learns to read a completely phonetic language (like Swahili), a sort-of phonetic language (like English), and a language written in logograms (like Mandarin)? Are their brains processing differently? Do the methods of teaching them to read differ?

Emmett

I find that my mind wanders sometimes when I’m reading, and it’s always puzzled me. How am I able to have full thoughts completely unrelated to what I’m reading while still processing the text at the same time? I guess the best way I can describe this is: I’m sitting down in my chair reading, I may be thoroughly enjoying the book and then suddenly, like in meditation, boop! There’s a thought. And it keeps going, a whole train of thoughts. But at the same time I’m still “hearing” all the words on the page in my mind. I don’t understand what they’re saying, but I hear them. Does that happen to anyone else and why?

Nicole Hulst

Can I add, what about e-ink vs lcd or OLED vs paper?

Max G

Asking as a middle school teacher: What’s one big thing that middle/high school teachers get wrong about supporting struggling readers?

Lena Gwen

Thank you so much! Can you enroll in these programs right after high school?

Don Elliot

I’ve always been a ‘slow’ reader. It’s not a matter of vocabulary or comprehension. As matter of fact I’m an officer on the grammar police. I have issues with ADD, and wonder if that’s part of it. I’m confounded by how people can read a book in one or two days, and when I see a bookshelf full of books I try to figure how many lifetimes it would take me to read them all. Also, I fall asleep with a couple of pages when I try to read a physical book. Not so much on a screen. So, what does it take to be a ‘fast’ reader?

Don Elliot

Happens with me as well. I get to a stage where it’s just the mechanics of getting the words off the page but not following the thread or meaning

Kallie

First time question asker! What’s the deal with speed reading? I have a friend who flies through books because she reads “pages” at a time rather than single words/sentences. Is this a thing people can really do?!

Adri Horak

First time asking here, Why do I hear my voice when I read something? Every time I read either a book or a text message, either I hear my voice or the person whom I know voice, why does that happens?

Kyle hunter

First timer here! How do I make myself actually absorb what I’m reading lol. Like why do I read a chapter and literally have no idea what I just read. Also can this differ with material?? I’m a welder/fabricator/motorcycle mechanic so a lot of what I’m reading is manuals, process info, ETC.

Joe Porfido

I love to read, but I'm way slower at it than friends/family. Am I doing it wrong or is this just how I read?

Nerdy_Megs

Just sharing an anecdote of weirdest "reading a word only" mispronunciation...When I was in Junior High I was doing a report on the US Civil War and had only read about Lee's Surrender at Appomattox Court House. When practicing my presentation to my parents, I pronounced it uh-PAW-muh-TOX instead of apo-MA-tux. Both of them nearly fell out of their chair laughing.

Leila

I am SO excited for a whole episode on reading!!! I’m curious, is there a difference in how our brain processes visually reading books and listening to audiobooks? Is one a more “valid” form of reading than the other? Both mediums feel so emotionally engaging but I feel like there’s a stigma around audiobooks specifically.

Marianne Thomas

Awesome topic! So excited to hear about it! I personally love non-fiction, where my wife likes a sci fi/fantasy series. Do we know of any reasons people have specific genres of they love / can't stand? Is it what you're raised reading? Personality? Or is there some difference in how we experience different genres? Thanks for the ep 😁

Madison Piper

Hi! When someone has dyslexia, what is happening in the brain to cause this? Love the podcast:)

Gail

Are there spatial aspects to reading? I am convinced that reading an actual book (as opposed to reading from a screen) conveys something, but what? I see very young children interacting with books in ways that seem to prefigure reading. Also, I recall my reading based on where I read on a page I read a thing, so maybe that component is active while I am reading?

Sydney Koenig

When I was a kid I was obsessed with reading and would get totally lost in a book, I could see/taste/smell every detail. As an adult I have a way harder time feeling immersed in a story. Is my imagination just broken or is that a natural part of reading as you get older??

Lee Wang

What makes some things hard to read (e.g. philosophy, notorious difficult/experimental literature/fiction)? Is there a way for me to get better at understanding these kinds of texts? I also have a hard time reading a lot of poetry too (basically anything in verse, which includes song lyrics), but that's just a me thing.

Allan Wolfe

Is there any measurable difference between reading a physical book versus an ebook? Thanks

M'lissa Morgan

First time question asker! Aside from being busy adulting, why do I find it so much harder to read like I did when I was a kid? I love reading just as much now as I did then and I even have a broader taste in books now; but try as I might, I cannot devour books as rapidly as I did back in the good ol' days. My TBR pile is in serious trouble...lol

FrankD

Did you know: there is a clear correlation between having a bookshelf with books in a child’s home and their success metrics in life. The books do not have to be read or touched in any way and yet they have that effect. It’s surmised that being taught to value books even though you may not read them is the cause of this phenomenon.

Lee Ann McAvoy

New to Patreon (you finally inspired me to join after listening to you for just a short time, and shout out to the Starbucks barista for recommending you!) so obviously first time question asker...Can you talk about Dyslexia, what it is and what it isn't? I work for a school district and we have such a hard time prying parents and teacher's fingers from the term "dyslexia" because while we do comprehensive literacy testing, we don't label it as such in the school. Do you have an easy way of explaining this so that they'll feel like they're getting their needs met? Also, does it actually have anything to do with getting letters reversed?!

Franziska Gumbmann

Is there a difference between neurotypicals and neuro diverce people, i have ADHD but at times i feel dyslexic and can't write nor read properly. I once even saw a video where a girl had a specially printed book with certain words in bold for a more fluent reading experience

Willow Hall

Please talk about dyslexia and what the heck it really is!

Spencer Parks

I'm curious about how some people (like myself) seem to process or read better if our lips are moving too. I did this much more as a kid but I still notice it just a little bit. I'm sure it has to do with how to brain is "wired". Is there much to say about this?

Spencer Parks

Anything interesting to say about reading out loud? Why are some people better at it than others? Or are there brain benefits to doing it? I hope the answer is "yes" because I do a LOT of it for my podcast.

Sarah king

Does anyone remember getting sight reading tested in school? Where they timed you on how many words you could read. On one hand I think it helped me be able to read fast and not have to read every word but on the other hand it seemed to have given so many people reading anxiety. Why did they do that?

Valerie

First time question asker here: I grew up reading books a LOT, reading was such a big part of my identity and then around my early 30s, it was like my brain found it much harder to concentrate on reading. I went from reading 50 books a year to maybe 5, at most. What happened?? Has social media fried my brain?? How do I learn to love reading again?

Rachel

My friend and I had a discussion about books versus audiobooks and how/if they are related?

Joe Lewis

Did the history of who became literate and when influence which countries were powerful and when? Probably not the best way to ask, but I wonder if there are examples of world history events being strongly influenced by who knew how to read (did public education and a literate working class make the US better able to manufacture war goods during World War II, for example?).

Gemma

Do the eye movements of reading have any correlation with the benefits of bilateral stimulation?

Gemma

What’s neurological different between reading text out loud and reading and playing sheet music

Katrina MacWhirter

First time question asker: As a bookstore manager the last 16 years, I have seen quite a change in how people read - and discovered that the ereader has actually given accessibility to more humans, those who live remotely or are restricted to home, those who find books hard to hold or carry around, or those who just need larger print. But I do wonder... Since ereaders landed, have we actually seen a change in how humans process information? I admit, while I own thousands of physical books, these days, I predominantly read in my ereader apps on my phone. It's more convenient, I don't have to worry about damaging a book or a reading light. I still read at around 150 books a year. But even in my reading chair, I find it harder to get through a physical book anymore, and wonder why that is. And also wonder if I have hugely changed how I process and remember the information I'm taking in.

Anke Lausch

Is it true that many children's books trying to educate our little ones on behaviour and perspectives actually teach the opposite. Many children's books show 5 examples of "the wrong way" of dealing with a situation and only once show the "right" way. For example books meant to introduce siblings to young children often show how the new baby is loud, needy, gets all the focus and attention, can't really play yet and in the end the silver lining is the baby growing up to be a play mate or their cuddlability.

Lauren Hoover

First time question asker: What is that little voice is my head when I read? How do deaf and otherwise heard of hearing people process words while reading if not for a little “voice”?

Hailie

First timer!! Has there ever been any studies done on the emotions we feel while reading? Are they comparable to real life emotions? Example: when we fall in love with a character (since we literally know their minds and actions), is that at all comparable to falling in love in real life? Does our mind know the difference? Bibliomaniac here 🫶🏻

Anastasia Doherty

My 19 year old daughter wants to be a librarian and was surprised that there wasn't an undergrad degree focused on this. She is in school now with a double major in creative writing and ASL and has to keep going onto grad school to accomplish her goal. Do you think this is the right way to go about it?

Holly Hoag

Is there a scientific benefit to reading a physical book versus on a kindle/ other screen?

Rachel

What ever happened to that thing where an app could flash words at you one by one, as a method of speed reading? I remember seeing a lot about it like 10 years ago, as The Next Big Thing In Reading. Was it not actually that effective?

Joe Wilkie

stoked to read this post. what’s the difference between reading words on a page, and listening through an audiobook?

Joe Wilkie

also, how long until reading becomes an obselete method to gather knowledge about the outside world? Will there ever be a faster method, or a method that doesn’t exclude visually impared persons, to transfer information from the environment to our brains?

Miriam

How does the comic sans font make reading easier for people with dyslexia/does it actually help?

floraandthefaun

why is it that when i read something out loud to someone else, i often don't understand/know what i've just read? hooooow, brain, hoooow?

Miriam

I picture what I'm reading visually while a read it, but my cousin absolutely can't visualize what they're reading - what is up with that?

Victor Lewis

FTQA: I ready slowly. I have trouble with spelling. Are these these two things related?

Isaac Raabe

My dad and my son are addicted to reading. I am proud to not be as bad as they are. When in gatherings, either one of them have the annoying tendency to get a book or paper out and get sucked in to whatever they're reading. They do put the material down when talked to, but it is a habit of theirs.

G Connolly

Do audiobooks count as reading??

Nita Chen

Greetings, Does the directionality (left to right, up to down) of reading affect comprehension and how that shapes language?

Nita Chen

Greetings, Is speed reading real? And how does that work?

Laura McDonald

First time question asker! Is there a word that adequately describes both reading books and listening to audiobooks? Or can we just say “read”, as in “I’ve read x books this year”? I get flak from friends when I use the word “read” to collectively refer to books I’ve… consumed? See, that word just sounds weird.

Laura McDonald

Pretty sure this is a case of correlation but not causation. People in higher socioeconomic classes are more likely to have more books in their homes.

Laura McDonald

Yes, this! I feel like the stigma is (unconscious) ableism and would love to hear about this!

Laura McDonald

Check out the podcast “Sold a Story”!

Emilie Shely

First time question asker. Is reading a physical book, better for your brain, than an audiobook?

Lena Gwen

Thanks, I willl!

Savannah Glenn

why do some people read faster than others?

AlysonMB

Are there transferable cognitive benefits to reading separate from the content of what you read? That is, does reading make you better at anything else besides reading? Also, I heard somewhere that reading below a certain wpm limits comprehension b/c it doesn't recruit the parts of your brain that process spoken language: you have to read at a pace similar to spoken language for that part of your brain to come fully online in the process. True?

Figment

why do our brains fill in the holes? thr can b wrds wtht vwls nd we cn stll tll wht it shld say.

Figment

how old is the english language, and why is it written from left to right, up to down? why did reading and writing change so much? hebrew and arabic are thousands of years older and they're right to left. japanese is up to down.

Jack Sparks

Does use of phonetic representation in written language change the way the brain learns to read as compared to what we see with more synthetic languages?

Dani the dino

do reading disabilities like dyslexia exist in all languages? Or are reading disabilities more common in some types of languages than others?

Ploy Keener

First time questions asker! Do our brains work differently when reading different scripts (Roman alphabet vs. Chinese characters vs. Cyrillic alphabet)? I'm currently learning to read and speak Thai, which has vowels that go after, before, above, below, and around their consonants but are still always pronounced after the consonant, in addition to a million other reading rules that make my brain feel like mush...

emily burns

why is it more difficult to read some languages than others? does it have to do with different alphabets or structure?

emily burns

do speed readers retain as much from a piece of text than readers who don’t speed read?

Kyla Dunn

First time question asker. Do we have any idea what is going on in the brain when we’re reading and we can see things in our mind’s eye, or is that an area of science that we’re still clueless about?

Steve Kelem

I find it easier to listen to audiobooks than read. Why is that? In the first year of getting a subscription to I listened to more books that I had read in the rest of my life. I'm 70 and have a PhD.

Emily Hean

What do you think is the most effective way to learn to read? Vox recently did a segment on schools moving away from phonics based teaching and how that's contributing to the lower numbers of literate children. Would love to get your opinion.

Colby Evans

Same - especially when given the first and last letter with the middle ones mixed up... many can read without missing a beat

Colby Evans

Any reason why some folks can read upside down quickly and easily, even as young'un's? Asking for a friend

Elisabeth Westner

Ok, my bad, I'm a few weeks behind on eps and didn't realize I had a Q of mine read aloud recently. (Please notice my extreme joy!)

Miss Palindrome

When I'm not interested, I can read the words of a whole page multiple times without any of it being retained. What is my brain doing when this happens?

Chrystle Rivers

Can you break your brain by reading too much/too fast? Like where you're not able to focus on reading anymore? Or is it just my ADHD?

emily burns

with the rising popularity of audiobooks, online books, and kindles, do you think physical books will ever become obsolete?

Cierra

Why is English less phoenetic than some of the romatic languages it's similar to?

Cassie Babcock

I have no questions but as a school psychologist who spent a LOT of time learning about the science of reading and reading disabilities, yes, yes, YES! YES!

Cassie Babcock

I can do this! I'm also a leftie who used to mirror-write... related?

Holden A. Goose

Do you think assistive technology for people with reading disabilities(as a person with adhd, text to speech is my friend) will become more accessible in the future? The technology can be really nifty, and I feel like a lot of people could benefit from assistive technology regardless of having reading disabilities

Jenna Congdon

How many young kids and teenagers are actually reading for fun these days? It seems like they aren't interested anymore, and that makes me sad! I'd like to hear if it's really true, or if I'm just old, lol.

Luis Ortiz

I'm in my late 40's and needing to study for a promotional exam at work. There is 8 books that need to be read. In the past years, my reading retention has declined to the point where I read stuff and have a hard time remembering it a few hours later. Are there tips/trick to improve retention?

Emily Yoshida

I've heard a few different terms for mispronouncing words that you've only read (and not heard aloud), my favorite so far is missled (said almost like the first syllable of miser, and then lld) which kinda sounds like a seuss word if I'm being honest. I'd love to know if there is an actual ologist approved term for this?

Kim C

I know that eyesight gets worse over time, but how much truth is there to the suggestion that reading a lot can worsen eyesight due to how close you have to hold books/devices? There's a certain irony to the thought that being a book worm upped my need for glasses with the scare tactics growing up around how sitting too close to the TV was going to ruin your eyesight.

Jay Miraldi

How do dyslexia specific fonts help people with the condition? Like how is it working in the brain?

Keely Chavez

I was an OBSESSIVE reader before university ground me down (like kid with flashlight under covers obsessed)... now I primarily listen to podcasts because I just can't... (Dadward is the BEST OBVI) how can I get my reading mojo back? (ps still love the smell of books SO much)

Hannes Stärk

How does reading compare to listening to audiobooks? Are there advantages like practicing to focus that I can get from one but not from the other - basically what are the non obvious psychological benefits from reading?

Dane Camacho

how fast does the average person read? should i try to read faster?

Grace Elling

Why do I get so emotionally attached to my books that I can barely bring myself to read/finish them? It has made me not finish book series because it makes me feel so ill think about it sometimes

Cinnamon

Does the science of reading include Irlen’s Syndrome which effects reading ability so profoundly?