Reading Development and Impairment: Behavioral, Social, and Neurobiological FactorsNOBLE, KIMBERLY G. Ph.D.; MCCANDLISS, BRUCE D. Ph.D.Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics: October 2005 - Volume 26 - Issue 5 - p 370-378 Basic Science Advances Abstract Author Information ABSTRACT. What are the cognitive and neurobiological building blocks necessary for children to acquire literacy, a skill that is crucial for academic and life achievement? In this review we discuss the behavioral and neurobiological evidence concerning the bases of reading development and impairment. The means by which reading achievement may be influenced by the background and experiences that a child brings to the classroom are discussed. Finally, we review a series of experimental studies that have examined the cognitive and neurobiological response prior to and following reading intervention in struggling readers. The importance of appropriate control groups is stressed, as well as the ultimate goal of designing reading interventions that target individual needs. Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York Address for reprints: Kimberly G. Noble, Ph.D., 1300 York Ave., Box 140, New York, NY 10021; e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org. © 2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.