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Updated: Jun 19, 2026
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Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills
Published on: September 17, 2019
Longitudinal genetic analysis of early reading: The Western Reserve Reading Project
Stephen A Petrill1, Kirby Deater-Deckard, Lee Anne Thompson
1Center for Developmental and Health Genetics, The Pennsylvania State University, PA 16802, USA.
Reading and Writing
|October 16, 2009
Summary
Genetic and environmental factors contribute to stable reading skills in early elementary school. New genetic and environmental influences emerge as reading demands increase.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Behavioral Genetics
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Reading ability is crucial for academic success.
- Understanding the interplay of genetics and environment in reading development is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to the stability and change in early reading outcomes.
- To examine how these influences vary across different reading-related skills.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a twin study design with 283 twin pairs from the Western Reserve Reading Project.
- Assessed reading outcomes at two time points, one year apart, in kindergarten/first grade and first/second grade.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated significant genetic stability in reading outcomes over time.
- Identified shared environmental influences contributing to stability, especially in direct instruction skills like phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and word knowledge.
- Found evidence for independent genetic and shared environmental effects, indicating emerging influences as reading demands evolve.
Conclusions:
- Early reading development is influenced by both stable genetic factors and environmental contributions.
- The relative importance of genetic and environmental influences may shift as children progress through early elementary grades.
- Further research can explore the dynamic nature of genetic and environmental effects on reading acquisition.
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