Neural processing of vision and language in kindergarten is associated with prereading skills and predicts future literacy

Abstract

The main objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate the neural predictors of reading acquisition. For this purpose, we followed a sample of 54 children from the end of kindergarten to the end of second grade. Preliterate children were tested for visual symbol (checkerboards, houses, faces, written words) and auditory language processing (spoken words) using a passive functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm. To examine brain-behavior relationships, we also tested cognitive-linguistic prereading skills at kindergarten age and reading performance of 48 of the same children 2 years later. Face-selective response in the bilateral fusiform gyrus was positively associated with rapid automatized naming (RAN). Response to both spoken and written words at preliterate age was negatively associated with RAN in the dorsal temporo-parietal language system. Longitudinally, neural response to faces in the ventral stream predicted future reading fluency. Here, stronger neural activity in inferior and middle temporal gyri at kindergarten age was associated with higher reading performance. Our results suggest that interindividual differences in the neural system of language and reading affect literacy acquisition and thus might serve as a marker for successful reading acquisition in preliterate children.

Protracted Neural Development of Dorsal Motor Systems During Handwriting and the Relation to Early Literacy Skills

“…A substantial line of research suggests that learning to read is accompanied by changes in ventral-temporal function during passive word reading tasks (Centanni et al, 2018;Chyl et al, 2018;Dehaene-Lambertz et al, 2018;Lerma-Usabiaga et al, 2018;Nordt et al, 2018;Kubota et al, 2019;Brem et al, 2020;Liebig et al, 2021). We, therefore, had expected to find a correlation between literacy and ventral-temporal activation during handwriting; however, we instead found a correlation between literacy and dorsal motor activation during handwriting.…”

Neural alterations in opioid-exposed infants revealed by edge-centric brain functional networks

“…The fusiform gyrus plays an important role for high-order visual processing in children and adults, including identification and differentiation of objects, 69 , 70 face recognition, 69 , 71 , 72 processing of colour information, 73–75 identifying words and letters from lower-level shape images, 74 , 76 , 77 and accessing object semantic information. 74 , 75 , 78 Furthermore, the LG has been shown to govern visual processing, 79 , 80 analysis of logical conditions, 80 , 81 and encoding of visual memories. 80 Normal visual function is important for brain maturation and cognitive development.…”

Brain responses during auditory word recognition vary with reading ability in Chinese school‐age children

“…Of importance, the activation of VWFA can be observed in adults with reading experience but not in illiterate adults, which may reflect access to orthographic representation during speech processing (Dehaene et al., 2015). It has also been revealed that children aged 9 but not 6 activate VWFA during native spoken language processing (Liebig et al., 2021; Monzalvo & Dehaene‐Lambertz, 2013). Consistent with these findings, the activation of the left OTC during speech has been repeatedly demonstrated in both school‐age children and adults under explicit requirements such as spelling and rhyming (Cone et al., 2008; DeMarco et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2018, 2020), and reduced activation was found in pre‐literate children and those with dyslexia (Conant et al., 2020; Desroches et al., 2010; Liebig et al., 2021; Raschle et al., 2012).…”

“…To date, studies have suggested that a reciprocal relationship occurs between speech and reading at the brain level (Dehaene et al., 2015). On the one hand, the speech processing system that includes the left temporoparietal cortex (TPC) and inferior frontal areas develops early in life and provides neural resources that can be recruited for acquiring reading skills later (Liebig et al., 2021; Lohvansuu et al., 2018). In line with this, individuals with dyslexia manifest impaired speech processing (Boets et al., 2007; Noordenbos & Serniclaes, 2015; Ziegler et al., 2009) and abnormal neural activity in regions including the left TPC (Landi et al., 2010; Lehongre et al., 2011; Lizarazu et al., 2020; Nora et al., 2021).…”

“…Moreover, activation of the visual word form area (VWFA)a subregion located in the left occipitotemporal cortex (OTC) that responds specifically to visual words and word-like stimuli (e.g., letter strings)-in response to speech is only observed among literate adults and typically developing children (Cone et al, 2008;Dehaene et al, 2010;DeMarco et al, 2017;Vinckier et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2018Wang et al, , 2020. Of note, in addition to formal reading instruction, several factors affect whether activation in the left OTC can be observed, of which inscanner task paradigms, linguistic features of stimuli (DeMarco et al, 2017), and individual differences in reading ability (Conant et al, 2020;Desroches et al, 2010;Junker et al, 2020;Liebig et al, 2021;Maier et al, 2004;Raschle et al, 2012) are major ones that should be carefully considered.…”