- Researchers at a university studied reading and the brain.
- People often skip words while they read.
- The eyes move very quickly during reading.
- The brain can still notice skipped words from afar.
- Scientists used tools to watch brain and eyes.
- Each person read many sentences and pressed a button.
- Skipping happens before full word recognition in reading.
- The results could help teachers and people who struggle.
- Researchers want to study skimming and careful reading later.
Difficult words
- researcher — a person who studies things to learnResearchers
- university — a school for higher education
- brain — the organ in your head that thinks
- skip — not read or do something, move pastSkipping
- recognition — the process of knowing something seen or heard
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Do you sometimes skip words when you read?
- Do you prefer to read carefully or to skim?
- Would you want help from a teacher if reading is hard?
Related articles
People with AMD Judge Car Arrival Times Like Others
A virtual reality study compared adults with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and adults with normal vision. Both groups judged vehicle arrival times similarly; vision and sound were used together, and a multimodal benefit did not appear.
Targeting a brain circuit to reduce opioid relapse
Researchers at Washington State University found that lowering activity in a specific brain connection cut heroin-seeking in a preclinical model. The study identifies a pathway between the prelimbic cortex and the paraventricular thalamus and tests two ways to reduce its activity.
Nasal spray reverses signs of brain aging in models
Researchers developed a nasal spray that delivers extracellular vesicles with microRNAs to the brain. In preclinical models it reduced inflammation, restored neuronal mitochondria and improved memory, but human tests are still needed.
Damage to Iranian universities and research after airstrikes
Airstrikes have damaged many Iranian universities, campuses and laboratories. UNESCO and scientists warn that online classes cannot replace lab training and that the attacks could harm research and students' future careers.