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Updated: Jun 13, 2026
06:52
Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills
Published on: September 17, 2019
Teacher quality moderates the genetic effects on early reading
J Taylor1, A D Roehrig, B Soden Hensler
1Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301, USA. taylor@psy.fsu.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 24, 2010
Summary
High-quality teaching amplifies genetic influences on children's reading skills. Poor teaching, however, can hinder reading development, regardless of genetic predispositions.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Reading achievement is influenced by genetic, family, and school factors.
- The specific impact of teacher quality on reading development remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of teacher quality in children's reading achievement.
- To determine how teacher quality interacts with genetic influences on reading skills.
Main Methods:
- Studied first and second graders in diverse Florida schools.
- Utilized twin comparisons (monozygotic and dizygotic) to estimate genetic variance in reading achievement.
- Assessed teacher quality by measuring reading gains in non-twin classmates.
Main Results:
- Genetic variance in twins' oral reading fluency increased with higher teacher quality.
- Excellent teachers may make genetic contributions to reading achievement appear larger.
- Ineffective teaching can limit students' reading potential.
Conclusions:
- Teacher quality significantly moderates the expression of genetic influences on reading achievement.
- Effective teaching is crucial for maximizing all students' reading potential.
- Addressing teacher quality is essential for improving reading outcomes.
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