Reading disappearing text: Why do children refixate words?

We compared Finnish adults’ and children’s eye movements on long (8-letter) and short (4-letter) target words embedded in sentences, presented either normally or as disappearing text. When reading disappearing text, where refixations did not provide new information, the 8- to 9-year-old children made fewer refixations but more regressions back to long words compared to when reading normal text. This difference was not observed in the adults or 10- to 11-year-old children. We conclude that the younger children required a second visual sample on the long words, and they adapted their eye movement behaviour when reading disappearing text accordingly.

Research highlights
► We measured adults’ and children’s eye movements as they read sentences containing either a long or a short target word; these sentences were presented either normally or as disappearing text.
► When reading disappearing text, 8/9-year-old children made fewer refixations but more regressions back to long words compared to when reading normal text; adults and 10/11-year-old children did not show this effect in regressions.
► These data show that the younger children required a second visual sample on long words, and they adapted their eye movement behaviour when reading disappearing text accordingly.