Emergence of the neural network for reading in five-year-old beginning readers of different levels of pre-literacy abilities: An fMRI study

► The temporo-parietal region is recruited during letter processing in 5-year olds. ► The recruitment is bilateral at an early stage of pre-literacy development. ► The recruitment becomes left lateralized with gain in pre-literacy skills. ► The pattern of recruitment depends on the levels of pre-literacy skills. ► Right hemisphere engagement and disengagement may be typical of reading development.