When the brain grows and learns, connections between different parts of the brain are created. Over time, these connections build networks. Networks are different parts of the brain that work together. Like a well-trained musical group, brain networks help us learn skills like reading. While we learn, the cells of the brain (called neurons) connect to each other by reaching out their tiny arms (called axons) or even by growing new arms. Over time, many axons connect to each other and build long highways, called white matter tracts. These highways allow information to travel from one part of the brain to another. Using MRI, scientists have learned that we can read because different parts of the brain become more active and communicate with each other as we learn. These brain areas have funny-sounding names: occipitotemporal area, or the "letter box" of the brain (where we process letters and words); temporoparietal area (helps us to play with the sounds of our language, such as figuring out that "banana" without the sound /b/ is "anana"); and inferior frontal region (the "captain" that directs us). When brain areas talk with each other often, the highways can become stronger.

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Go to source: https://kids.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/frym.2020.00072