The development and impact of reading skills

Children with Down syndrome tend to be good at learning to read at a young age, relative to other skills. Most children now achieve useful levels of literacy during childhood, with some maintaining skills at the same levels as their non-disabled peers into their early teenage years. Despite these successes, the impact of early reading on the development of other cognitive skills has not been extensively researched. Moreover, the factors leading to high levels of attainment among some individuals and not others are not understood.

Research

This study will carefully chart the progress of children with Down syndrome following a structured language and reading intervention programme, designed for everyday use at home. The study will examine a detailed set of standardised measures across verbal and non-verbal mental abilities, communication and memory, and investigate the interplay between these cognitive skills and reading development.

Following children aged 3-4 years, the study will provide longitudinal and cross-sectional data over an initial 3 year period. This study will also provide data to validate family-reported development measures collected online.

Investigators

• Sue Buckley, Angela Byrne, Gillian Bird

Location

• The Sarah Duffen Centre, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK.

Education

Study results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific publications. Practice implications will be published in periodicals for families and professionals, including Down Syndrome Research and Practice and incorporated into freely available Down Syndrome Topics advice and information summaries and Down Syndrome Issues and Information books. Open Access articles and summaries will be provided for reproduction in the newsletters and journals of associations, support groups and professional societies. The study results will also be shared through the Trust's training courses and its contributions to conferences in the UK and worldwide.

Impact

• An improved understanding of the impact of early reading on the development of speech, language and cognition among children with Down syndrome
• An improved understanding of factors influencing variability in progress in reading development
• Practical recommendations for early reading tuition and individualised learning plans

Status

We are seeking funds for this project.

If you would like to support this work, please visit our giving site for details of how you can help or contact giving@downsed.org.

Related projects

• Research
  • Down Syndrome Records - online data collection
  • Longitudinal study of influences on early development
• Problem solving in young children
• Parental concerns and experiences of support in the pre-school years

• Education

  • Down Syndrome Topics

  • Down Syndrome Research and Practice

  • Down Syndrome Issues and Information

  • Down Syndrome Online