ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book outlines neuroimaging has provided converging evidence for the early phonology theory by showing that regions in the ventral visual stream are sensitive to phonological variables. It explains how the converging techniques have been used to characterize the time course of early visual processes in reading and to show that these early processes are delayed in individuals with reading disabilities. The book discusses a number of fundamental issues regarding how functional neuroimaging can be used to study the development of reading skills. It highlights several important methodological difficulties that arise with the use of neuroimaging techniques in children and show that these difficulties can be overcome to provide a fascinating picture of the developing brain as it acquires reading skills. The book also outlines a long-standing program of research using neuroimaging to understand sentence comprehension.
