Reading is not a natural activity; it is a learned process (Wolf, 2007). The process of reading is very complex, using several highways and side-roads to effectively analyze written forms into usable information. The process of learning how to read begins at birth when babies begin attaching sounds to meaning. The brain also begins attaching visual or picture forms to sounds and meaning. The natural foundation or wiring for reading is dependent on your genetics and its growth is dependent on your environment.
Most individuals are genetically wired to develop the basic or initial letter and word processing networks to analyze and convert written words into usable meaning. The natural wiring includes three different regions of the brain that individuals use to process written words in meaning (Pugh et al. 2000; Eden, 2004). These regions are located in the left hemisphere of the brain. The first region is the anterior—interior front gyrus or Broca’s area of the brain (Pugh et al., 2000). This region is 
responsible for processing articulatory recoding or phonological processing (Pugh et al., 2000; Moats, 2014). This region connects letters to sounds. The second region of the brain is the temporoparietal or Wernicke’s gyri (Pugh et al., 2000). This area of the brain is known for processing orthography or visual representation into phonology or patterns of speech and semantic or meaning. The third region that is necessary for fluid reading and meaning is the occipitotemporal or storage of familiar word forms (Pugh et al., 2000). This area stores words, their pronunciations, and their meaning. Some individuals do not have the natural wiring to learn how to read.
Individuals who have developmental dyslexia are not naturally wired to process written forms into speech and meaning. Researchers (Pugh, 2000; Eden, 2004; Hoeft, 2014) have learned through MRI imaging that individuals with developmental dyslexia initially only use the Anterior region of the brain or only one of the three regions necessary to effectively process written passages. The other two regions are initially not connected to the Anterior region. Dyslexics typically 
compensate using areas of the right side of the brain (Healy, 2010). The connections can be developed through direct, systematic instruction. Each individual student with dyslexia may need different types of intervention intensity to develop the necessary highways or bridges that connect the areas of brain that most individuals use to process written language.
References
International Dyslexia Association Conference (2013-2014) Dr. G. Eden, Dr. F. Hoeft, Dr. L. Moats, & Dr. K. Pugh
Healy, J. (2010). Different Learners. New York: Simon & Schuster
Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the Squid. New York: Harper Perennial
