Just like learning a language, learning to read is hard! It’s actually a full-brain experience!
So, when children learn by engaging all modalities—listening, speaking, writing, along with with reading—they activate more neural pathways in their brain. This deepens comprehension and strengthens their long-term memory.
That’s why reading instruction that intentionally integrates all four language domains helps students understand, retain, and apply what they learn more quickly and builds a more powerful foundation for learning across subjects that will last a lifetime.
The Power of Multimodal Learning
Research shows that the brain learns best when information is presented in multiple ways. According to neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf (2007), the process of reading recruits and connects several areas of the brain that evolved for different functions—visual recognition, auditory processing, and language comprehension.
When children hear, say, see, and write new words, these systems work together, reinforcing learning through repeated, meaningful exposure.
Listening Builds Language
Listening is the foundation of literacy. Before children can decode print, they must first recognize how language sounds. When teachers use oral stories, songs, and read-alouds, they are strengthening children’s phonological awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words.
This auditory groundwork developed through listening is essential for phonics instruction later on (Moats, 2020). Research from the National Institute for Literacy (2008) confirms that oral language development in the early years strongly predicts later reading comprehension.
Speaking Strengthens Understanding
Talking about stories helps children make meaning of what they read. “Turn and Talk” moments or retelling stories in their own words give students the opportunity to process ideas, clarify misunderstandings, and connect personally with text.
Oral language expression is the bridge between listening and reading comprehension—what Gough and Tunmer (1986) describe in the Simple View of Reading as “language comprehension”—a key component of overall reading ability.
Writing Deepens Memory
When students write words, phrases, or short summaries by hand, they reinforce the visual and kinesthetic memory of language. Writing about reading—even in short bursts—has been shown to improve both retention and comprehension (Graham & Hebert, 2011).
Handwriting, in particular, activates the brain’s Reticular Activating System (RAS), which helps encode learning into long-term memory.
Reading Connects It All
Reading is where all these modalities converge. A strong reader listens internally to the rhythm of language, speaks silently through inner voice, and recalls how words look and feel.
This is why StoryWorld’s program integrates listening, speaking, writing and reading—rather than isolating them—thereby mirroring how the brain naturally learns.
The Multimodal Advantage
By activating all modalities as students learn to read, educators give every child a stronger, more engaging path to literacy that will also make those early reading skills really “stick.”.
Teacher Tip: “Say It, Hear It, Write It, Read It.”
When introducing new vocabulary or phonics patterns, have students say the word aloud, hear it in a sentence, write it on paper, and read it in a short passage. This four-step cycle maximizes retention and understanding.
Cynthia Harrison Barbera
Cynthia Harrison Barbera is President and CEO, StoryWorld International. She served as VP Educational Technology for Scholastic and is the recipient of two US Presidential awards for educational programs. An Emmy-award winner for a television series on education, she has taught English to native-speakers and ELL students in the US and overseas.
References:
- Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7(1), 6–10.
- Graham, S., & Hebert, M. (2011). Writing to Read: Evidence for How Writing Can Improve Reading. Alliance for Excellent Education.
- Immordino-Yang, M. H. (2016). Emotions, Learning, and the Brain: Exploring the Educational Implications of Affective Neuroscience. W.W. Norton.
- Moats, L. C. (2020). Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science, 2020: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do. American Federation of Teachers.
- Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. HarperCollins.