Does Learning Music Help Students Learn to Read?

If it’s to be believed, a 2018 study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that students who receive music lessons — specifically piano instruction — have an advantage over their non-musical peers when it comes to learning to read, and that … Continue reading “Does Learning Music Help Students Learn to Read?”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 27: The Future of Writing (part 2 of 2)

[Editor’s note: This is the twenty-eighth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 27: The Future of Writing (part 2 of 2)”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 23: Featural Scripts (part 1 of 3)

[Editor’s note: This is the twenty-fourth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 23: Featural Scripts (part 1 of 3)”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 18: The Origins and Development of English (Part 2 of 4)

[Editor’s note: This is the nineteenth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 18: The Origins and Development of English (Part 2 of 4)”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 17: The Origins and Development of English (Part 1 of 4)

[Editor’s note: This is the eighteenth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 17: The Origins and Development of English (Part 1 of 4)”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 12: Runes and Futhark

[Editor’s note: This is the thirteenth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 12: Runes and Futhark”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 11: Meroïtic Script, another Undecipherable Language

[Editor’s note: This is the twelfth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 11: Meroïtic Script, another Undecipherable Language”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 3B: The Rise of Indo-European Languages (Part 2 of 2)

[Editor’s note: This is the fourth of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. It is also the second part in our discussion of Indo-European languages. Links to all the previous posts in this series are listed at the end of this one.] Last time, … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 3B: The Rise of Indo-European Languages (Part 2 of 2)”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 2: Egyptian Forms

[Editor’s note: This is the second of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today.] In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the very beginnings of … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 2: Egyptian Forms”