The Reading Gap

I recently read The Reading Gap by John Corcoran, and within the first 30 pages, I found myself wanting to underline everything and share it all with you.

The author, known as “the teacher who couldn’t read,” blends research, history, and personal reflection to tell a powerful story:

👉 The human brain was never designed to read.

Our brains come hardwired for speech—which we see play out by children naturally learn to talk simply by being surrounded by language.

…But reading?

Reading is different. 

Reading is not instinctive. 

It’s something our brains must learn to do through a process scientists now understand much more deeply, thanks to brain imaging like MRIs.

Before the MRI we did not have the information to understand how the brain functioned. Now that we do, scientists can document the entire process of reading including all the connections in the brain between sound, vision and memory. And as a result, scientists have concluded that the brain was not designed to accommodate the process of reading. 

Corcoran writes:

“For the brain to master a skill it was not designed for requires a remarkable feat—a rewiring of some of its circuitry.”

And that’s what struck me most.

If the brain can be rewired to learn to read, then teaching becomes the process of building those new pathways—carefully, intentionally, step by step.

At Next Step, that’s exactly what I love most about the work I do.

I get to help children build those pathways, turning what once felt confusing or frustrating into something that finally clicks.

Through systematic, explicit instruction—letter by letter, sound by sound—kids begin to see patterns, build confidence, and discover that reading can make sense.

And when that happens, something amazing unfolds:

They don’t just learn to read—they start to love it.

📚 If you’d like to learn more about working together, you can start here ➡️ START HERE.

Here’s to another wonderful week rewiring, building confidence, and watching young readers soar!

Happy reading & Happy Halloween!

Meghan