Chapter 6 - Building a Writing Brain Neurologically

Abstract

This chapter deals with building a writing brain neurologically. The writing brain can be constructed from other brain systems. However, despite the widespread belief that the writing brain evolves from the reading brain, the writing brain evolves from all the other language systems and draws uniquely on nonlanguage systems in ways that the other language systems do not. Writing brain is organized differently than the reading brain. The chapter says that writing is best understood from a developmental perspective. The existing functional brain imaging results are mostly based on normal adults who are skilled writers. Further research is needed to evaluate whether these findings generalize to novice and developing writers, and to investigate the nonmotor components of writing. This chapter discusses the available brain imaging and developmental research and proposes the way a writing brain might be constructed from other brain systems. As in the case of reading, the writing brain is constructed through the interaction of the developing wetware and experiences in the instructional environment. It also discusses the functional writing system, which can re-organize writing development.