ABSTRACT
Neuroimaging technology has provided researchers with access to the brain on multiple dimensions, including anatomy and functional activity. Advances in this technology have vastly improved our knowledge of the neural circuitry related to reading, and the role of phonological processing in reading skill. The phonological deficit hypothesis (PDH; I. Y. Liberman, Shankweiler, & A. M. Liberman, 1989; Shankweiler & Crain, 1986; Shankweiler et al., 1995) is a theory that posits deficits in phonological processing; connecting phonemes to letters is the core deficit of reading disability (RD). In this chapter, we present an overview of what imaging tells us about the reading circuit in the brain. We then take a look at the history of neuroimaging research on skilled and impaired reading, and examine how the PDH has facilitated the progression of knowledge in this area. Finally, we address current and future directions of research, including emerging research on precursors to reading skills and deficits, cross-cultural studies, and reading interventions.
