Predicting future poor readers from pre-reading visual skills: A longitudinal study.

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101584990 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2162-2973 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 21622965 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Appl Neuropsychol Child Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Philadelphia, PA : Taylor & Francis Group

Forecasting* ; Reading* ; Visual Perception*; Academic Success ; Child ; Humans ; Learning ; Longitudinal Studies ; Prospective Studies

Reading is essential for learning, from literature to physics, from paper to screens on e-readers and smart phones. Even if it is well known that learning to read implies good language skills, children also need to develop good oculomotor and visual-perception skills. Thereby, any deficits in visual processing may affect learning. The possible impact of visual deficits is rarely considered, especially with regard to eye movements and visual perception. Hence, these deficits are usually discovered much later or remain undiagnosed. The present study aimed at assessing the usefulness of visual processing related measures in the early detection of reading difficulties. Visual skill differences that are apparent early in kindergarten might provide predictive insights into risk for learning difficulties at school entry. We used a prospective, longitudinal approach where visual processes (assessed with the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test) were measured in 51 preschoolers, and the impact of these processes on future reading development was explored one year later, in Grade 1. Results showed that (1) 31% of our sample of preschoolers showed visual processing impairments (without any clinical complaints) and (2) reading accuracy and speed in first graders were significantly correlated with visual skills assessed in kindergarten, thus confirming the significant role of oculomotor and visual-perception processes in the acquisition of reading skills. These suggests the potential for these measures to be used clinically for identifying children at risk for low academic achievement, enabling appropriate targeting of early interventions.

Keywords: DEM-test; Kindergarten; eye movements; longitudinal study; preliteracy skills; reading acquisition; visual information processing

Date Created: 20210317 Date Completed: 20220620 Latest Revision: 20220627

20240105

10.1080/21622965.2021.1895790

33730530