Early cognitive profiles of emergent readers: A longitudinal study

This longitudinal study examined the contribution of phonological awareness, phonological memory, and visuospatial ability to reading development in 142 English-speaking children from the start of kindergarten to the middle of Grade 2. Partial cross-lagged analyses revealed significant relationships between early performance on block design and matching letter-like forms tasks and later reading ability. Rhyme awareness correlated with later reading ability during the earliest stages, but onset awareness did not emerge as important until after the children had started reading. Digit span correlated significantly with future reading ability at every stage. These findings indicate that although phonological awareness, phonological memory, and visuospatial ability are all necessary for emergent reading, their relative importance varies across the first 2 years of reading development.

► Phonological awareness, STM and visuospatial ability as predictors of reading.
► Ability to analyse visual forms important for early reading.
► Rhyme awareness predicted current and future reading.
► Onset awareness and reading related only after basic reading skills were acquired.
► Phonological memory had the most enduring influence over later reading ability.