Risk Factors for Poor Reading: Beyond Phonological Deficits

It is well-established that phonological skills are critical for learning to read and that individuals with ‘dyslexia’ have phonological processing difficulties. However, as recognized by a recent Delphi study of dyslexia there is also growing evidence that poor reading is the outcome of multiple genes of small effect acting through the environment to produce individual differences in the manifestation of dyslexia/poor reading. I will draw on findings from a longitudinal study of children at high-risk of dyslexia, either because they have a parent with dyslexia or preschool language difficulties, to consider a range of risk factors that are associated with poor reading. The paper will begin by reviewing findings from longitudinal studies assessing the role of speech and language skills in reading development. There will follow a series of analyses examining dyslexia outcomes which are either specific or associated with comorbid developmental language disorder. We will touch on the role of ‘protective’ factors including the home literacy environment and implications for screening and intervention.

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