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Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills
Published on: September 17, 2019
Finnish children born very preterm have good reading comprehension but weak reading fluency at age 11 years - a
Eveliina Joensuu1, Petriina Munck1, Anna H Nyman2
1Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Insights
Very preterm children often struggle with reading fluency. Early literacy skills at age 7 significantly predict reading fluency and comprehension at age 11, highlighting the need for ongoing support.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Educational Psychology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Children born very preterm (gestational age <32 weeks or birth weight ≤1500g) face increased risks for developmental challenges, including reading difficulties.
- Early identification and intervention are crucial for mitigating long-term academic consequences in this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate reading fluency and comprehension at age 11 in Finnish very preterm children.
- To analyze the longitudinal associations between early literacy skills (at age 7) and later reading outcomes (at age 11).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 134 Finnish-speaking very preterm children was assessed at ages 7 and 11.
- At age 7, pre-reading skills, decoding, and writing were evaluated.
- At age 11, reading fluency and reading comprehension were assessed using standardized measures.
Main Results:
- Very preterm children demonstrated a higher prevalence of reading fluency deficits compared to normative data; reading comprehension was age-appropriate.
- A significant association was found between weak literacy skills at age 7 and poor reading fluency at age 11 (62-68% vs. 33-43%).
- Children with weaker early literacy skills also showed a higher likelihood of reading comprehension difficulties at age 11 (30-50% vs. 13-17%).
Conclusions:
- Reading fluency should be screened regularly until age 11 in very preterm children.
- Interventions should focus on supporting the continuum of literacy development from early schooling to later academic success.
- Early literacy assessments are vital predictors of reading outcomes in very preterm children.
Abstract:
Children born very preterm (<32 gestational weeks and/or birth weight ≤1500 g) are at elevated risk for reading difficulties. This study aimed to investigate reading fluency and reading comprehension at 11 and to analyze the associations between literacy skills at 7 and reading skills at 11 in 134 Finnish-speaking very preterm children. At 11, reading fluency and reading comprehension were evaluated. At 7, pre-reading skills, decoding, and writing were assessed. Results showed that there were more preterm children with weak skills in reading fluency compared to a normative test population. Reading comprehension was age appropriate. Additionally, 62% to 68% of the children with weak literacy skills at 7 had weak reading fluency at 11, compared to those with more advanced skills (43% to 33%, p < 0.001 to 0.026). Respectively, 30% to 50% of the children with weak literacy at 7 had weak reading comprehension at 11 compared to those with more advanced skills (13% to 17%, p < 0.001 to 0.005). Findings highlight the importance of screening reading fluency until 11 years and providing support for the continuum between literacy skills in the beginning of schooling and reading outcome at later school age.
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