Commentary: The critical role of oral language deficits in reading disorders: reflections on Snowling and Hulme...

Learning to read is a primary goal of early education, and considerable instructional time is focused on it. Most children respond well to this instruction and soon become accurate and fluent readers. But a small percentage of children find learning to read a significant challenge and often struggle educationally and psychologically as a result. In an earlier review, Snowling and Hulme (2012) argued that weaknesses in oral language development play a causal role in reading disorders such as dyslexia and reading comprehension impairment. They further proposed that these impairments should be recognized as distinct disorders within the DSM-5 classification system. In the current review, Snowling and Hulme (this issue) consider how risk factors at the biological, cognitive, and environmental levels combine to cause reading disorders. Again, they focus particular attention on oral language development and its critical role in reading success/failure.