title: The Home Literacy Environment as a Predictor of the Early Literacy Development of Children at Family-Risk of Dyslexia.
abstract: The home literacy environment (HLE) predicts language and reading development in typically developing children; relatively little is known about its association with literacy development in children at family-risk of dyslexia. We assessed the HLE at age 4 years, precursor literacy skills at age 5, and literacy outcomes at age 6, in a sample of children at family-risk of dyslexia (n= 116) and children with no known risk (n= 72). Developmental relationships between the HLE and literacy were comparable between the groups; an additional effect of storybook exposure on phoneme awareness was observed in the family-risk group only. The effects of socioeconomic status on literacy were partially mediated by variations in the HLE; in turn, effects of the HLE on literacy were mediated by precursor skills (oral language, phoneme awareness, and emergent decoding) in both groups. Findings are discussed in terms of possible gene-environment correlation mechanisms underpinning atypical literacy development.
authors.affiliation: York St John University.
authors.forename: Lorna G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: University of York.
authors.forename: Marianna E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hayiou-Thomas
authors.affiliation: University College London.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hulme
authors.affiliation: University of Oxford.
authors.forename: Margaret J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Snowling