The Development of Multileveled Writing Systems of the Brain Brain Lessons for Writing Instruction

U ntil recently, most neuroscience research on the brain was based on autopsies of individuals who lost writing skills before death and thus acquired disorders later in development (e.g. Anderson, Damasio, & Damasio, 1990; Basso, Taborelli, & Vignolo, 1978; Brain, 1967). That all changed with the development of technology near the end of the 20th century, when studies then focused on the living brain, initially with adults but increasingly with children and youth. This chapter reviews research on the developing brain as it relates to writing systems. We begin with an evidence-based, conceptual framework for writing systems of the brain grounded in current paradigms in neurosci­ ence, developmental science, learning science, and instructional science. We then provide a brief overview of research methods used for studying the developing brain, followed by illustrative neuroscience findings for writ­ ing in early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence/young adults. Finally, we discuss the significance of these brain find­ ings in reference to five key ideas about how neuroscience can be used to inform educa­ tors interested in brain-based pedagogy and brain-based lessons for writing instruction.