About Mark

Mark Seidenberg is a cognitive scientist who has studied reading, language, and learning for several decades. As a cognitive scientist, neuroscientist, and psycholinguist, his work has focused on how language is acquired, used, and represented in the brain, as well as how children learn to read, the causes of dyslexia, and educational achievement gaps. He believes we need to do a better job of teaching children to read, and that the way to do so is by incorporating more of what has been learned from this research. His 2017 book had a major impact on the development of the “science of reading” approach to instruction, as reflected in laws passed in more than 40 states, and an updated version will be released soon.

A national movement to improve literacy outcomes by using practices grounded in science is a big advance—historic, even. But it is too early to declare victory. Laws are a clumsy way to decide how to teach reading. Getting research into the classroom is challenging. The “science of reading” approach is on the right path, but there is still a long way to go.

This website provides a way for him to communicate more about what current research really says about reading, language, and learning, and how it can be used to achieve more than incremental gains in reading skills—especially among children from groups historically at risk for poor literacy. Seidenberg is professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he co-directs the Language & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University, completed postdoctoral training at the Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois, and was previously a Senior Scientist at Haskins Laboratories. In 2025, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

What He Does

He has retired from his academic position at UW–Madison but remains active in the “science of reading” movement. He gives talks, writes articles, and consults with publishers, reading advocacy organizations, and other enterprises.

The best way to reach him is through the contact form. He is also on LinkedIn and Bluesky.