Hold your tongue: study shows numbing the mouth may speed up silent reading

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Parents often tell their children to sound out the words as they are learning to read. It makes sense: Since they already know how to speak, the sound of a word might serve as a clue to its meaning.

It turns out there’s a surprising and deep connection between what’s going on in your mouth and how your brain handles reading, and a University of Alberta research team hopes to use it to help people with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. 

In a new study with the alliterative title Perturbing the pathway: The impact of lollipops and lidocaine on supramarginal gyrus activity during silent reading tasks, the team found that numbing the mouth can help people read faster. 

Read all about it HERE

Why Sound, Laughter, and Play Are Essential for Learning

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Creative Sound Play recognizes what science and caregivers have long observed: humans communicate, bond, and learn through sound before words, symbols, or formal music. From giggles and coos to call-and-response vocal play, sound is a child’s first language—and one of the most accessible, inclusive educational tools available to educators today.

Dr. Mireault’s research highlights laughter as a mechanism for social bonding and emotional regulation, particularly in moments of surprise, play, and shared attention. Creative Sound Play extends this understanding into classrooms by intentionally using vocal sounds, clapping, stomping, silence, rhythm, and playful listening to strengthen relationships, support self-regulation, and transform everyday moments—especially transition times—into meaningful learning experiences.

Read the article HERE

School-Reported Reading Assessments Show Atypical Gains for Students With Dyslexia

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Across multiple cases and school-administered reports, students who participated in NOW! Programs®, an evidence- and research-based approach grounded in developmental brain science, demonstrated:

  • Significant percentile gains in reading and language performance
  • Growth exceeding typical annual expectations, rate of growth as high as 91st percentile
  • Sustained progress across multiple school testing windows

In several reports, students’ reading was previously below the 10th percentile and later they scored in the 50th to 80th percentile ranks, as documented by independent school assessments. The school-reported assessment outcomes align with federal and state expectations for evidence-based instruction under ESSA and IDEA, demonstrating measurable gains rather than reliance on compensatory strategies.

Read more about it HERE

Seeing Differently Due to Dyslexia

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Barbara Wirostko, MD, FARVO, is a glau­coma clinician-researcher and Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology and Bio­medical Engineering at the University of Utah, Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City. Outside of her ophthalmological work, she runs a national nonprofit charity supporting young adults with dyslexia who are pursuing careers in science, tech­nology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In this Q&A, Wirostko shares how personal loss led her to create a foundation that has transformed hundreds of lives.

How did you get into this work? I did not “choose” to do this work—it essentially evolved out of need. In 2014, our son, Joseph James, died suddenly in a car crash. He was a junior at Montana State University (MSU), studying mechanical engineer­ing. We asked our community to donate in lieu of spending money on flowers. What began as a local grassroots effort has turned into a national volun­teer nonprofit, the Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation. Over 11 years, we have awarded close to $900,000 in 496 scholarships across 44 states.

Read more about it HERE

How to Support Students with Dyslexia

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Key takeaways

  1. Dyslexia is a specific word-reading difficulty, not a problem with effort or intelligence
    Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disability marked by persistent challenges with accurate and/or fluent word reading and spelling, even with good instruction. It does not mean that a student isn’t smart, motivated, or capable.
  2. Early identification changes trajectories — but it’s never too late to help
    Strong, early screening systems and attention to risk factors (including family history) can prevent years of struggle and frustration. At the same time, the speakers emphasized that intervention remains worthwhile in later grades and adulthood; support can still make a meaningful difference.
  3. Myths about dyslexia can delay or derail support
    Common misconceptions — like “letters moving on the page,” that dyslexia can’t be identified until third grade, or that it only looks one way in English — can keep students from getting what they need. Clarifying what dyslexia is (and isn’t) helps schools focus on effective, evidence-based responses.
  4. Instruction needs to make sound–print connections explicit and give students lots of practice
    For students with or at risk for dyslexia, high-quality instruction includes explicit, systematic teaching of how sounds map onto letters and spelling patterns, coupled with ample practice in reading and spelling words in connected text. The goal is not only accurate decoding, but growing fluency, comprehension, and confidence.
  5. Families, systems, and relationships are central to supporting students with dyslexia
    Caregivers, often parents or guardians who notice early struggles, are key partners in identification and advocacy. Schools can honor that role by building coherent systems for screening, intervention, and accommodations, and by creating environments where students’ strengths are recognized alongside their challenges.

Read the original post HERE