Learning to read and write in the early school years from a neuroscience perspective. A systematic review

Abstract

Reading and writing, as well as their educational outcomes, are a cause for concern for education systems, as assessments reveal that learning levels are still below expectations. These concerns have prompted efforts to better understand this issue, address its causes, and reverse its negative effects, as early literacy is considered a key stage. Neuroscience, although a recent development studies and proposes ways to improve learning, including the process of teaching and learning to read and write. This study aims to analyze the contributions of neurosciences to the process of teaching and learning of reading and writing in the early years of childhood schooling. To this end, the literature addressing this topic over the last decade (2015-2024) was reviewed using the PRISMA protocol, with sources from Dialnet, Redalyc, Scielo, and Google Scholar. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 articles were analyzed. The search showed that there are studies on the subject, although not many, and most are systematic reviews. These studies show that the contributions of neuroscience improve reading and writing learning, provided that teachers have the necessary knowledge. However, it is noted that, although there are documented experiences, further studies and debate between different teaching models are required to identify divergences and convergences that facilitate a better understanding of the complexity of learning to read and write.