A longitudinal investigation of inattention and preliteracy development.
OBJECTIVE
The link between significant attention problems and reading difficulties among school-age children is clear, but few have examined the impact of early inattention on preliteracy development. This longitudinal study examines this link.


METHODS
A total of 47 children had repeated measures of teacher-rated attention problems and three key preliteracy skills (phonemic awareness, letter knowledge, and rapid naming) in both preschool and kindergarten.


RESULTS
Teacher-reported attention problems in preschool significantly and negatively predicted both phonemic awareness and letter naming scores 1 year later, even after controlling for initial language ability and preschool performance on these tasks. Levels of preschool inattention did not significantly predict rapid automatic naming 1 year later. Likewise, preschool preliteracy scores did not predict attention problems in kindergarten.


CONCLUSIONS
Early attention problems may interfere with the acquisition of certain preliteracy skills. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are presented.
Walcott
Christy M
CM
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858-4353, USA. walcottc@ecu.edu
Scheemaker
Anastasia
A
Bielski
Kerri
K
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007804:Language Development; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011932:Reading