David Maradei, Director
Child Abuse Prevention Council
Monterey County
Safe From the Start Coordinator
Monterey County capc@co.monterey.ca.us
The Literacy Presentation
Is based on the Work of Dr. Bruce Perry

Why and how does reading change children?

While the content of what children read is important, it is literally the
ACT of reading that physically changes the brain of a child

Neocortex
Limbic
Diencephalon
Brainstem
Abstract thought
Concrete Thought
Affiliation
"Attachment"
Sexual Behavior
Emotional Reactivity
Motor Regulation
"Arousal"
Appetite/Satiety
Sleep
Blood Pressure
Heart Rate
Body Temperature

Sequential Neurodevelopment
 The brain is undeveloped at birth
 The brain organizes from the “bottom” up - brainstem to cortex and from the inside out
 Organization and functional capacity of neural systems is sequential
 Experiences do not have equal
“valence” throughout development

The more a neural system is
“activated,” the more that system changes to reflect that pattern of activation
This is the basis for development, memory and learning

Patterns and Organization of
Brain Function
 Patterned activity is required to effectively develop and organize neural systems
 With chaotic sensory input, inconsistent patterns of activity or sensory input, there may be abnormal development and related dysfunctions

The brain develops and organizes as a reflection of developmental experience, organizing in response to the pattern, intensity and nature of sensory and perceptual experience

As the brain develops in this sequential and hierarchical fashion, and the more complex limbic, sub-cortical and cortical areas organize, they begin to modulate, moderate and ‘control’ the more primitive and ‘reactive’ lower portions of the brain

What Builds Cortical
Modulation Capacity?
 Healthy attachment experiences leads to healthy development of limbic and cortical areas involved in social affiliation and modulation of impulsivity
 Education, specifically literacy, helps build in cortical systems that modulate reactivity
 Therefore, enriched cognitive and socioemotional experiences during childhood help build healthy brain

Literacy and Brain
Organization
 Repetitive, patterned cognitive stimulation helps organize various cortical association capabilities
 These ‘reading-related’ brain systems facilitate abstract cognition, creativity and modulation of impulsive, less-mature functioning
 Learning to read literally changes the brain – increasing the probability of “humane” problem solving and conflict resolution

Cortical Modulation of
Reactivity
Neocortex l
Limbic
DC
DC
BS
BS

Sense of
Time
Cognition
Mental
State
Extended
Future
Abstract Concrete Emotional Reactive Reflexive
CALM
Days
Hours
Primary secondary
Brain Areas
NEOCORTEX
Subcortex
SUBCORTEX
Limbic
AROUSAL
Hours
Minutes
LIMBIC
Midbrain
ALARM
Minutes
Seconds
Loss of
Sense of
Time
MIDBRAIN
Brainstem
FEAR
BRAINSTEM
Autonomic
TERROR

David Maradei, Director
Child Abuse Prevention Council
Monterey County
Safe From the Start Coordinator
Monterey County capc@co.monterey.ca.us
The Literacy Presentation
Is based on the Work of Dr. Bruce Perry