Child and environmental risk factors predicting readiness for learning in children at high risk of dyslexia.

Julia Dilnot,Lorna Hamilton,Barbara Maughan,Margaret J Snowling

doi:10.1017/s0954579416000134

Abstract

We investigate the role of distal, proximal, and child risk factors as predictors of reading readiness and attention and behavior in children at risk of dyslexia. The parents of a longitudinal sample of 251 preschool children, including children at family risk of dyslexia and children with preschool language difficulties, provided measures of socioeconomic status, home literacy environment, family stresses, and child health via interviews and questionnaires. Assessments of children's reading-related skills, behavior, and attention were used to define their readiness for learning at school entry. Children at family risk of dyslexia and children with preschool language difficulties experienced more environmental adversities and health risks than controls. The risks associated with family risk of dyslexia and with language status were additive. Both home literacy environment and child health predicted reading readiness while home literacy environment and family stresses predicted attention and behavior. Family risk of dyslexia did not predict readiness to learn once other risks were controlled and so seems likely to be best conceptualized as representing gene-environment correlations. Pooling across risks defined a cumulative risk index, which was a significant predictor of reading readiness and, together with nonverbal ability, accounted for 31% of the variance between children.

Highlights

We investigate the role of distal, proximal, and child risk factors as predictors of reading readiness and attention and behavior in children at risk of dyslexia
There are a small number of reports of subtle differences between the home literacy environments experienced by children at family risk of dyslexia compared with those not at risk: van Bergen, de Jong, Maassen, and van der Leij (2014) found less shared reading between fathers with dyslexia and their children compared with controls, and Torppa et al (2007) found less frequent book, newspaper, and magazine reading by parents in at-risk families and more variable measures of shared reading when the children were 2 years of age
To test Hypothesis 1 we examined whether risks were associated (a) with family risk of dyslexia and/or (b) preschool language impairment

Summary

Introduction

We investigate the role of distal, proximal, and child risk factors as predictors of reading readiness and attention and behavior in children at risk of dyslexia. There are a small number of reports of subtle differences between the home literacy environments experienced by children at family risk of dyslexia compared with those not at risk: van Bergen, de Jong, Maassen, and van der Leij (2014) found less shared reading between fathers with dyslexia and their children compared with controls, and Torppa et al (2007) found less frequent book, newspaper, and magazine reading by parents in at-risk families (arguably a passive rGE) and more variable measures of shared reading when the children were 2 years of age (a possible active rGE). Scarborough, Dobrich, and Hager (1991) reported that parents of children who went on to be dyslexic attributed limited shared

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion