Journal Article

Delayed Early Vocabulary Development in Children at Family Risk of Dyslexia

Maassen, Ben, Krikhaar, Evelien, van Viersen, Sietske, Verdam, Mathilde, van der Leij, Aryan, de Jong, Peter F., de Bree, Elise H.

2017

Overview

Purpose: This study aimed to gain more insight into the relation between vocabulary and reading acquisition by examining early growth trajectories in the vocabulary of children at family risk (FR) of dyslexia longitudinally. Method: The sample included 212 children from the Dutch Dyslexia Program with and without an FR. Parents reported on their children's receptive and expressive vocabulary size at ages 17, 23, 29, and 35 months using the Dutch MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories. Dyslexia status at the end of Grade 2 (8 years) rendered 3 groups: FR-dyslexic (n = 51), FR-nondyslexic (n = 92), and typically developing-nondyslexic (TD) children (n = 69). Results: Repeated measures analyses showed that FR-dyslexic children had lower receptive vocabulary scores from 23 months onward and lower expressive scores from 17 months onward than FR-nondyslexic children. Latent growth curve modeling showed lower initial growth rates in FR-dyslexic children, followed by partial recovery, indicating a delayed increase in receptive and expressive vocabulary. FR-nondyslexic and TD children did not differ. Conclusions: Early deficits in receptive and expressive vocabulary are associated with later reading. Early vocabulary growth of FR-dyslexic children is characterized by a delay but not deviance of growth. Vocabulary can be considered an additional risk factor for dyslexia.

• Publisher: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
• Subject: At Risk Persons / At risk populations / Child / Child development / Child Language / Child, Preschool / Children / Delayed / Delayed language acquisition / Delayed Speech / Developmental delays / Deviance / Dutch language / Dyslexia / Early Reading / Elementary School Students / Families & family life / Family / Family Literacy / Female / Foreign Countries / Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Grade 2 / Humans / Infant / Language Acquisition / Language disorders / Language Skills / Language Tests / Latent growth curve models / Learning disabilities / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Measures (Individuals) / Models, Statistical / Multivariate Analysis / Native language acquisition / Phonological Awareness / Physiological aspects / Reading / Reading comprehension / Reading disabilities / Risk / Risk Factors / Speech / Speech disorders / Thinking Skills / Time Factors / Toddlers / Vocabulary / Vocabulary Development / Vocabulary learning