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November 23, 2008Certain skills are predictors of reading ability in young children |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A new study in the journal Learning Disabilities Research & Practice reveals that differences found between pre-kindergarten reading-disabled children and their typically reading peers diminish in various measures by pre-first grade, with the exception of phonological awareness abilities. Results show that prior to kindergarten, children with reading disabilities were distinguished from their typically developing reading counterparts by their performance on tasks of letter knowledge, phonological awareness, and rapid naming skills. These results are consistent with observations that phonological awareness is a strong predictor of reading disability in both children at general risk and genetic risk of reading difficulty. "Our findings have implications not only for initial assessment and identification, but also for how progress in early literacy skills is viewed," the authors conclude. Susan Lambrecht Smith is affiliated with the University of Maine, Orono and can be reached for questions at susan.lambrecht.smith@umit.maine.edu. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (LDRP) publishes research articles addressing the nature and characteristics of children and adults with learning disabilities, program development, assessment practices, and instruction. In so doing, LDRP provides valuable information to professionals involved in a variety of different disciplines including special education, school psychology, counseling, reading, and medicine.
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