Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills predict reading ability: A 9-year longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Most research on linguistic comprehension and narrative skills focuses on children with reading difficulties, not typically developing children.
• Existing research primarily examines short-term effects during primary school years, leaving long-term impacts unclear.
• The specific role of these skills in typically developing children's reading beyond primary school remains under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the independent effects of linguistic comprehension and narrative skills at age 5 on reading ability at ages 10 and 14.
• To clarify the long-term influence of early oral language skills on reading development in typically developing children.
• To provide a 9-year prospective longitudinal perspective on language and reading development.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 716 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
• Assessed children's language skills at age 5, and word reading and reading comprehension at age 10.
• Used national curriculum test results for reading achievement data at age 14.

Main Results:

• Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills at age 5 uniquely predicted reading comprehension and achievement at later ages.
• These predictions held true even after controlling for general cognitive ability, memory, phonological skills, and maternal education.
• Listening comprehension at age 5 was a significant predictor of reading achievement at age 14, independent of prior reading skills.

Conclusions:

• Linguistic comprehension and narrative skills are distinct yet related oral language abilities.
• These foundational language skills exert a continued influence on reading development well beyond the primary school years.
• Early language proficiency is crucial for sustained reading success throughout childhood and adolescence.