Predictors of exception word and nonword reading in dyslexic children: the severity hypothesis

The classification of dyslexic children into discrete subtypes yields a poor description of the dyslexic population at large. Multiple regression methods were used to examine continuous variation in component reading subskills (nonword and exception word reading) and their underlying cognitive skills within a group of 59 9-15 year-old dyslexic children. Two measures of phonological skills contributed unique variance to nonword reading: phonological processing and verbal short-term memory skills. In contrast, the only unique predictor of exception word reading was reading experience. The results are discussed within a connectionist framework that views the decoding deficit in dyslexia as stemming from poorly specified phonological representations. The extent of the nonword reading deficit is determined by the severity of the underlying phonological impairment. In contrast, exception word reading is influenced more by print exposure

Reading comprehension: nature, assessment and teaching.

The goal of reading is understanding. In order to understand print, a child must be able to decode the words on the page and to extract meaning. A large body of research focuses on how children learn to decode text and how best to foster children’s decoding skills. In contrast, we know much less about the process of reading comprehension in children. In this booklet we first consider what is required in order to ‘read for meaning’. We then move on to discuss children who have difficulties with reading comprehension. Our aim is to enable teachers to assess individual differences in reading and to foster the comprehension strategies that characterize fluent reading

Better communication research project : language and literacy attainment of pupils during early years and through KS2 : does teacher assessment at five provide a valid measure of children's current and future educational attainments?

It is well-established that language skills are amongst the best predictors of educational success. Consistent with this, findings from a population-based longitudinal study of parents and children in the UK indicate that language development at the age of two years predicts children’s performance on entering primary school. Moreover, children who enter school with poorly developed speech and language are at risk of literacy difficulties and educational underachievement is common in such children. Whatever the origin of children’s problems with language and communication, the poor educational attainment of children with language learning difficulties is an important concern for educational polic

Validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check : implications for practice

This is an Open Access article made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0) license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ , which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background: Introduced in June 2012, the phonics screening check aims to assess whether 6-year-old children are meeting an appropriate standard in phonic decoding and to identify children struggling with phonic skills. Aims: We investigated whether the check is a valid measure of phonic skill and is sensitive in identifying children at risk of reading difficulties. Sample: We obtained teacher assessments of phonic skills for 292 six-year-old children and additional psychometric data for 160 of these children. Methods: Teacher assessment data were accessed from schools via the local authority; psychometric tests were administered by researchers shortly after the phonics screening check. Results: The check was strongly correlated with other literacy skills and was sensitive in identifying at-risk readers. So too were teacher judgements of phonics. Conclusions: Although the check fulfils its aims, we argue that resources might be better focused on training and supporting teachers in their ongoing monitoring of phonics.Peer reviewe

The Home Literacy Environment as a Predictor of the Early Literacy Development of Children at Family-Risk of Dyslexia

The home literacy environment (HLE) predicts language and reading development in typically developing children; relatively little is known about its association with literacy development in children at family-risk of dyslexia. We assessed the HLE at age 4 years, precursor literacy skills at age 5, and literacy outcomes at age 6, in a sample of children at family-risk of dyslexia (n = 116) and children with no known risk (n = 72). Developmental relationships between the HLE and literacy were comparable between the groups; an additional effect of storybook exposure on phoneme awareness was observed in the family-risk group only. The effects of socioeconomic status on literacy were partially mediated by variations in the HLE; in turn, effects of the HLE on literacy were mediated by precursor skills (oral language, phoneme awareness, and emergent decoding) in both groups. Findings are discussed in terms of possible gene–environment correlation mechanisms underpinning atypical literacy development

Scaling up early language intervention in educational settings : First steps matter

Objective To report how improvements on a Brazilian language intervention for early childhood education settings (PROLIN) were made and evaluated. Study Design In the first phase, the programme layout and materials were improved. This involved redesigning the guidelines for the programme, adding videos (using a learning management system) and creating an observation checklist to monitor the fidelity of implementation. The second phase was a two-week pilot study (a seven-session intervention) involving two teachers and 22 students. Checklists and video footage were analysed to investigate implementation. Results Quality of implementation was generally good, but we identified additional areas for improvement. Teachers had some difficulties with aspects related to session dynamics, implementation of activities and use of techniques that reinforce learning. Conclusions The pilot study was instrumental in identifying obstacles for a scaled-up, high-quality implementation. The design of these materials took into consideration ways of guiding and supporting teachers to: (1) offer students adequate participation time; (2) help include children who are shy or have behaviour problems; (3) use teaching strategies properly; (4) bring sessions to a close; and (5) reach the objectives of each session. Further modification is still needed, especially in the manual, videos and supplementary materials

The Home Literacy Environment Is a Correlate, but Perhaps Not a Cause, of Variations in Children’s Language and Literacy Development

The home literacy environment is a well-established predictor of children’s language and literacy development. We investigated whether formal, informal, and indirect measures of the home literacy environment predict children’s reading and language skills once maternal language abilities are taken into account. Data come from a longitudinal study of children at high risk of dyslexia (N = 251) followed from preschool years. Latent factors describing maternal language were significant predictors of storybook exposure but not of direct literacy instruction. Maternal language and phonological skills respectively predicted children’s language and reading/spelling skills. However, after accounting for variations in maternal language, storybook exposure was not a significant predictor of children’s outcomes. In contrast, direct literacy instruction remained a predictor of children’s reading/spelling skills. We argue that the relationship between early informal home literacy activities and children’s language and reading skills is largely accounted for by maternal skills and may reflect genetic influences

Shared storybook reading with children at family risk of dyslexia

Background: Shared storybook reading is an important context for language learning and often constitutes young children's first encounter with the printed word. The quality of early shared reading interactions is a known predictor of language and reading development, but few studies have examined these interactions in children at family risk of dyslexia. Methods: This exploratory study describes the quality of shared storybook reading between mothers and their 3- to 4-year-old children at family risk of dyslexia (FR; n = 18) in comparison with dyads with no known risk (no-FR; n = 13). Mother–child interactions while sharing a familiar and an unfamiliar storybook were coded for type of extra-textual talk (meaning-related talk at the concrete and abstract levels; print-related talk) and affective quality. Maternal and child language and literacy skills were considered as potential correlates of shared reading quality. Results: The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading was broadly comparable across FR and no-FR dyads, particularly when sharing a book they knew well, with large within-group variation. Mothers contributed more concrete meaning-related talk when introducing an unfamiliar book to their children; children contributed more extra-textual talk overall when sharing a familiar book. Maternal language, but not reading, skills were related to the linguistic quality of shared reading. The affective quality of reading interactions was rated more highly in dyads where mothers and children had stronger language skills. Conclusions: These results suggest that the quality of shared reading does not vary systematically as a function of children's risk of dyslexia but is related to maternal language skills. This finding needs to be replicated in a larger sample in order to better understand the risk and protective factors associated with dyslexia. Highlights: What is already known about this topic The quality of extra-textual talk during shared reading between parents and preschoolers predicts later language and literacy outcomes in typically developing children. The affective quality of early shared reading predicts children's motivation to read independently in later childhood. Children at family risk of dyslexia are more likely than their peers with no family risk to have difficulty learning to read and may show weaknesses in oral language skills. What this paper adds. The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading between mothers and preschool children is broadly similar when children are at family risk of dyslexia compared with no family risk. The type and quantity of extra-textual talk contributed by mothers and children appears to differ according to the familiarity of the storybook, but replication of the findings in a larger sample is required. The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading is related to maternal language skills. Implications for theory, policy or practice. Shared storybook reading offers rich language learning opportunities for children at family risk of dyslexia. Maternal language skills may be an important determinant of the interactional quality of shared reading. The linguistic and affective quality of shared reading is not clearly associated with maternal reading difficulties