Scientists identify two overlooked skills that predict reading success — SkimNews
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- Daniel Hajovsky led researchers from Texas A&M University, the University of Kansas, St. John's University, Montclair State University and Temple University in combining 50,000 correlations from 137 cognitive and achievement test batteries into one statistical model.
- Auditory processing—recognizing individual speech sounds and linking them to written letters—was one of the study’s two most reliable predictors, with a strong specific role in decoding.
- Comprehension-knowledge—vocabulary, concepts and background information acquired through learning and experience—was the other leading predictor, supporting children’s understanding of words, sentences and longer passages.
- Visual processing showed no meaningful relationship with reading ability, while general intelligence was associated with performance but less strongly than earlier meta-analyses had suggested.
- Memory, reasoning and mental processing speed also contributed to reading development, although they played supporting roles behind auditory processing and comprehension-knowledge.
- Hajovsky said teachers may identify particular weaknesses and provide targeted instruction, while families strengthen foundational skills at home and schools, parents and communities work together.
Why it matters: For educators and families, the 137-battery, 50,000-correlation analysis identifies concrete targets—auditory processing and comprehension-knowledge—instead of treating difficulty as low intelligence or a visual deficit. That supports more individualized instruction for children whose reading struggles reflect a specific skill that needs development.
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