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Predicting text reading skills at age 8 years in children born preterm and at term
Lauren R Borchers1, Lisa Bruckert1, Katherine E Travis1
1Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1265 Welch Road, Postal Code 5415, Stanford, CA 94305, United States of America.
Insights
Children born preterm face reading difficulties, but executive function and non-verbal IQ uniquely predict reading success in this group. These cognitive skills are crucial for early school assessments and interventions for preterm infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental neuroscience
- Pediatric cognitive development
- Educational psychology
Background:
- Children born preterm exhibit higher risks for cognitive deficits and reading difficulties compared to term-born peers.
- Preterm birth can impact various functional domains, potentially affecting long-term academic achievement.
- Understanding these impacts is crucial for targeted early interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how specific cognitive functions predict reading development in children born preterm versus those born at term.
- To determine if cognitive domains differentially predict reading outcomes based on birth status.
- To inform early identification and support strategies for children at risk of reading difficulties.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal descriptive cohort study design was employed.
- Participants included preterm (n=48) and term-born (n=41) children assessed at age 6 and reassessed for reading at age 8.
- Cognitive skills (phonological awareness, language, executive function, non-verbal IQ) at age 6 were analyzed using linear regressions to predict reading outcomes at age 8.
Main Results:
- Preterm children scored lower on all cognitive measures compared to term-born children.
- Phonological awareness and language abilities significantly predicted reading outcomes in both groups.
- Executive function and non-verbal IQ predicted reading outcomes only in preterm-born children, indicating a moderating effect of birth group.
Conclusions:
- Non-verbal cognitive skills enhance reading prediction specifically in preterm-born children, suggesting reading difficulties are part of broader developmental deficits.
- Findings highlight the importance of assessing executive function and non-verbal IQ in preterm infants for early school evaluations.
- These results support tailored interventions for reading difficulties in preterm populations.
Background:
Children born preterm are at risk for developing reading difficulties and for decrements in other cognitive skills compared to children born at term.
Aims:
To assess how domains of function, often negatively impacted by preterm birth, predict reading development in children born preterm and at term.
Study Design:
Longitudinal descriptive cohort study.
Subjects:
Preterm (n = 48; gestational age 22-32 weeks, 30 males) and term (n = 41, 18 males) participants were assessed at age 6 years on a battery of verbal and non-verbal cognitive skills and reassessed at age 8 using the Gray Oral Reading Tests-5. Linear regressions assessed the contributions of phonological awareness, language, executive function, and non-verbal IQ at age 6 to reading outcome at age 8.
Results:
Children born preterm had lower scores than children born at term on all measures (Cohen's d from 0.46 to 1.08, all p < .05). Phonological awareness and language abilities predicted reading in both groups (accounting for 19.9% and 25.0% of variance, respectively, p < .001). Birth group did not moderate the association. By contrast, the association between executive function and non-verbal intelligence and reading outcome was moderated by birth group (interaction accounted for 3.9-6.7% of variance, respectively, p < .05). Positive predictions to reading from executive function and non-verbal IQ were found only in children born preterm.
Conclusions:
Non-verbal cognitive skills improved the prediction of reading outcome only in the preterm group, suggesting that reading decrements represent a component of global deficits. These findings have implications for evaluation of children born preterm at school entry and treatment of reading difficulties.
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