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Predictors of Reading and Spelling Difficulties in Italian Children: Specific Language and General Cognitive Skills

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Predictors of Reading and Spelling Difficulties in Italian Children: Specific Language and General Cognitive Skills
Language: English
Authors: Angela Pasqualotto (ORCID 0000-0003-2172-5492), Paola Venuti
Source: Learning Disabilities Research & Practice. 2025 40(1):17-30.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Grade 1
Primary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Emergent Literacy, Reading Difficulties, Spelling, Predictor Variables, Grade 1, Elementary School Students, Cognitive Ability, Phonological Awareness, Naming, Cognitive Processes, Attention Control, Reading Skills, Writing Skills, Language Skills, At Risk Students
Geographic Terms: Italy
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Raven Progressive Matrices, Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration
DOI: 10.1177/09388982241292304
ISSN: 0938-8982
1540-5826
Abstract: This study investigated the role of domain-specific and domain-general factors in predicting early literacy skills in Italian children. A sample of 239 first-grade students was evaluated using a broad neuropsychological battery to assess their cognitive skills. The results showed that phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, speed of processing, and attentional control all played a role in predicting reading and writing abilities. These findings support the importance of considering not just domain-specific language skills, but also domain-general cognitive skills when identifying children at risk of difficulties in reading and writing. The study supports the adoption of a multifactorial-probabilistic model to accurately diagnose specific learning disorders.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1469636
Database: ERIC
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Description
Abstract:This study investigated the role of domain-specific and domain-general factors in predicting early literacy skills in Italian children. A sample of 239 first-grade students was evaluated using a broad neuropsychological battery to assess their cognitive skills. The results showed that phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, speed of processing, and attentional control all played a role in predicting reading and writing abilities. These findings support the importance of considering not just domain-specific language skills, but also domain-general cognitive skills when identifying children at risk of difficulties in reading and writing. The study supports the adoption of a multifactorial-probabilistic model to accurately diagnose specific learning disorders.
ISSN:0938-8982
1540-5826
DOI:10.1177/09388982241292304