This study, using a longitudinal design with a cohort of young readers, investigates if children's early word decoding ability in Second Grade can predict later academic performance. In an effort to estimate the unique effect of early word decoding (GradeTwo) with academic performance (Grade Nine) gender and non-verbal cognitive ability were accounted for in hierarchical regression models. Results show that even after controlling for these factors word decoding successfully predicted marks in subjects as well as attendance in advanced courses and language classes. The authors conclude that children's early ability to decode words could be an important factor for predicting performance in school and, thus, stress the importance for schools to investigate children's early word decoding ability.

Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental reading disability estimated to affect 5-10% of the population. While there is yet no full understanding of the cause of dyslexia, or agreement on its precise definition, it is certain that many individuals suffer persistent problems in learning to read for no apparent reason. Although it is generally agreed that early intervention is the best form of support for children with dyslexia, there is still a lack of efficient and objective means to help identify those at risk during the early years of school. Here we show that it is possible to identify 9-10 year old individuals at risk of persistent reading difficulties by using eye tracking during reading to probe the processes that underlie reading ability. In contrast to current screening methods, which rely on oral or written tests, eye tracking does not depend on the subject to produce some overt verbal response and thus provides a natural means to objectively assess the reading process as it unfolds in real-time. Our study is based on a sample of 97 high-risk subjects with early identified word decoding difficulties and a control group of 88 low-risk subjects. These subjects were selected from a larger population of 2165 school children attending second grade. Using predictive modeling and statistical resampling techniques, we develop classification models from eye tracking records less than one minute in duration and show that the models are able to differentiate high-risk subjects from low-risk subjects with high accuracy. Although dyslexia is fundamentally a language-based learning disability, our results suggest that eye movements in reading can be highly predictive of individual reading ability and that eye tracking can be an efficient means to identify children at risk of long-term reading difficulties.

Developmental dyslexia is the most common learning disorder in children. Problems in reading and writing are likely due to a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors, resulting in reduced power of studies of the genetic factors underlying developmental dyslexia. Our approach in the current study was to perform exome sequencing of affected and unaffected individuals within an extended pedigree with a familial form of developmental dyslexia. We identified a two-base mutation, causing a p.R229L amino acid substitution in the centrosomal protein 63 kDa (CEP63), co-segregating with developmental dyslexia in this pedigree. This mutation is novel, and predicted to be highly damaging for the function of the protein. 3D modelling suggested a distinct conformational change caused by the mutation. CEP63 is localised to the centrosome in eukaryotic cells and is required for maintaining normal centriole duplication and control of cell cycle progression. We found that a common polymorphism in the CEP63 gene had a significant association with brain white matter volume. The brain regions were partly overlapping with the previously reported region influenced by polymorphisms in the dyslexia susceptibility genes DYX1C1 and KIAA0319. We hypothesise that CEP63 is particularly important for brain development and might control the proliferation and migration of cells when those two events need to be highly coordinated.

This study examines the effects of children’s ability of word decoding in second grade on academic success in ninth grade. It is believed that children with a high level of word decoding in second grade have advantages throughout the educational system compared to children with a low level of word decoding. The aim of the study is to investigate the predictive power of early word decoding on later academic success in comparison with non-verbal cognitive ability. A Swedish cohort of 2165 children in second grade (8 year) was investigated with two tests of word decoding (the Word chains test and OS 400) and a non-verbal cognitive ability test (Raven’s matrices). Academic success was defined as marks in school subjects and educational choices, collected from the children’s’ school leaving certificates (16 year). As expected, preliminary results show that word decoding have a moderate correlation with marks in school subjects and is a much better predictor of success than non-verbal cognitive ability. Additional results will be discussed.

The aim of the paper is to present an outline of results from a longitudinal study of reading disabled persons in Kronoberg, Sweden and to address several considerations to develop scientifically well-founded methods. This report presents an outline of group comparisons between reading disabled persons and a control group of normal readers from eight years old in grade 2 until 29 years old at the follow-up study. From a total cohort of 2167 children in grade 2, a sample of 103 children was selected on the basis of different screening tests and was followed through the educational system to the end of upper secondary school. The sample was matched with a control group on age, gender, school class and nonverbal ability. The purpose of the follow up study was to investigate dyslexia's influence on quality of life regarding health and life situation in relation to background factors collected during early school years and adolescence. The reading disabled differed in self-reliance in reading, formal education and reported how the reading impairment had left them with bad memories of the years in school. However, there were no differences between the groups on reported general confidence in their abilities and if they were in control of their lives. Also, there were no differences between the groups on reported psychical health and other factors concerning wellbeing. It seems that the difficulties the reading disabled group reported are isolated to reading and writing activities and not to other areas. The reading disabled has not challenged themselves in higher education as much as the control group. Instead, they prepared themselves for the labour market and an adult living earlier in life than the control group. We suggest that the educational factor explains many of the investigated differences between the groups, such as transitions and raising families. The results also revealed challenges for future research. The cut off score in the extreme lower end of the tail resulted in preponderance for boys

Purpose: This poster addresses findings from a Swedish longitudinal reading project, Reading Development in Kronoberg, during a period of 20 years (1989 until 2010). The purpose is to answer questions about consequences of poor decoding ability in grade two concerning decoding development and ability as adult as well as academic success. Method: On the basis of two word decoding tests administered in a cohort of 2165 children in grade 2 (age 8-9) together with teachers' estimates of poor readers, a total of 103 children with reading disabilities (RD) were selected. A control group of 90 children with normal reading capacity were matched on gender, school class and non-verbal cognitive ability. The RD children and the controls were retested with different reading and cognitive tests in grade 5, 9, 12 and 30 RD plus 28 controls, at the age of 29, together with information about their marks and academic careers. Results: The RD group was significantly poorer at all reading related measures at all test points. Especially, phonological measures and spelling were far behind as well as academic success. The decoding gap between RD and controls increased, in particular after the end of formal schooling. Except a few subjects, they followed a deficit model. Conclusions: It seems like as long as RD takes part of the education system they continues to develop their decoding ability, but than the decoding level away. It also seems like decoding ability in early grades are more important for later academic success than cognitive non-verbal ability.