…this website is about reading - an extraordinary ability, peculiarly human and yet distinctly unnatural. It is acquired in childhood, forms an intrinsic part of our existence as civilized beings, and is taken for granted by most of us. The unspoken belief is that if, as a child, you are sufficiently motivated and come from a home in which reading is valued , you will learn to read with ease. But as with many other assumptions that appear to make intuitive sense, the assumption that reading comes naturally and easily to all children is simply not true. A substantial number of well-intentioned boys and girls-including very bright ones-experience significantly difficultly in learning to read, through no fault of their own.

Sally Shaywitz, M.D.