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Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research Vol.51 688-705 June 2008. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2008/049)
© American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
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Why Do Preschool Language Abilities Correlate With Later Reading? A Twin Study

Nicole Harlaar
King's College London, England

Marianna E. Hayiou-Thomas
University of York, United Kingdom

Philip S. Dale
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

Robert Plomin
King's College London

Contact author: Nicole Harlaar, who is now at the Department of Human Development and Family Science, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210. E-mail: nharlaar{at}ehe.osu.edu.

Purpose: Language acquisition is predictive of successful reading development, but the nature of this link is poorly understood.

Method: A sample of 7,179 twin pairs was assessed on parent–report measures of syntax and vocabulary at ages 2, 3, and 4 years and on teacher assessments of reading achievement (RA) at ages 7, 9, and 10 years. These measures were used to construct latent factors of early language ability (LA) and RA in structural equation model-fitting analyses.

Results: The phenotypic correlation between LA and RA (r = .40) was primarily due to shared environmental influences that contribute to familial resemblance. These environmental influences on LA and RA overlapped substantially (rC = .62). Genetic influences made a significant but smaller contribution to the phenotypic correlation between LA and RA, and showed moderate overlap (rA = .36). There was also evidence for a direct causal influence of LA on RA.

Conclusions: The association between early language and later reading is underpinned by common environmental and genetic influences. The effects of some risk factors on RA may be mediated by language. The results provide a foundation for more fine-grained studies that examine links between specific measures of language, reading, genes, and environments.

KEY WORDS: language, literacy, genetics


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