System and methods are provided to promote effortless automatic recognition of common sight words. A subject performs a game-like task that generates novel non-verbal visual stimuli that triggers visual attention shifts that enhance foveal and parafoveal recognition of non-verbal and verbal stimuli laterally presented in the right or left visual field. The present invention engages a shared motor-perceptual-cognitive neural network involving oculomotor, visuo-motor and selective executive cognitive behaviors on both brain hemispheres. The present invention has applications to a wide range of non-verbal pre-orthographic visual processes and early lexical processes, not only contributing to enabling reading fluency to dyslexics, reluctant and slow readers, but also to beginning readers. The present invention has wide applications in learning disabilities and normative individuals learning to read.
