How the act of learning to read rewires the brain and changes the way you hear

A new study in Cortex reveals that learning to read causes measurable neuroplasticity—adults with reading education recruit a distinct brain region (right side) when processing unfamiliar sounds, compared to non-readers, demonstrating a positive cognitive advance.

This does not prove reading instruction should replace other forms of education, nor does it address literacy access gaps or socioeconomic factors affecting reading acquisition.