A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Language skills at 2 years predict reading comprehension at 11 in children born very preterm – a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Joensuu, Eveliina; Munck, Petriina; Nyman, Anna; Lapinleimu, Helena; Haataja, Leena; Stolt, Suvi
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication year: 2025
Journal:: Child Neuropsychology
Journal name in source: CHILD NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
ISSN: 0929-7049
eISSN: 1744-4136
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2025.2566096
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2025.2566096
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/504544485
Children born very preterm (VP, <32 gestational weeks and/or birth weight <= 1500 g) are at risk for difficulties in language and reading. It is unclear whether early language is predictive for later reading skills in this population. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of language at 2;0 for reading at 11;0 in children born VP. The study comprised 115 Finnish-speaking children born VP. At 2;0, language skills were assessed with the Finnish long-form of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. At 11;0, reading fluency and reading comprehension were evaluated using the Finnish Primary School Reading Test. The language variables explained 32%-33% of the variance in reading comprehension at 11;0. No clear associations between early language and reading fluency were found. Early language had high specificity but low sensitivity for identifying weak reading comprehension at 11;0. The findings provide support for the continuum between early language and later reading comprehension in children born VP. Evaluating language skills at 2;0 provides important predictive insight into later reading comprehension. Validated parental-report instruments offer valuable data on the language skills of children born preterm at this age. It is recommended to include these tools in the clinical follow-up of very preterm children.
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Funding information in the publication:
This study was funded by the Doctoral Programme in Cognition, Learning, Instruction, and Communication, University of Helsinki, Finland (four-year salaried doctoral researcher position for E.J.).
