ABSTRACT
Reading programs for low-income populations often give disappointing results. Failures may be partly due to a neglect of perceptual learning and practice. Reading originates as a perceptual learning function. Visual stimuli are best-learned symbol by symbol, with pattern analogies and much practice to unite smaller components and speed up identification. The prerequisite for comprehending volumes of text is the parallel-processing of letters. This happens when the letter-by-letter decoding function moves to the visual word form area of the brain that recognizes words as if they were faces. Then people can see multiple letters at the same time, process texts fast, and insert them rapidly into their working memory. If they know the language, they can then understand. Therefore, reading comprehension and writing should be emphasized after fluency when teaching time is limited. All humans learn to read the same way. Therefore, such methods would work for all scripts, including Chinese. To teach the poor, governments and donors should promote the instruction of individual letters and independent student practice with teacher feedback. Fairly lengthy and well-spaced textbooks are needed, but pictures are unnecessary. To attain the Sustainable Development Goals of 2030, governments should demand scientific studies that link outcomes to memory functions.
