An Electrophysiological Study of Print Processing in Kindergarten: The Contribution of the Visual N1 as a Predictor of Reading Outcome

Abstract

Sensitivity to print is characterized by a left occipito-temporal negativity to words in the event-related potential N1. This sensitivity is modulated by reading skills and may thus represent a neural marker of reading competence. Here we studied the development of the N1 in regular and poor readers from preschool age to school age to test whether the amplitude of the N1 predicts children's reading outcomes. Our results suggest a predictive value of the print-sensitive negativity over the right hemisphere. Whether this N1 may serve as a biomarker to improve prognosis in preliterate children should be clarified in future studies.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the developing team of the “Graphogame” at the University Jyväskylä and, in particular, Jane Erskine, Anne Mönkkönen, Marika Peltonen, and Gonny Willems for implementing the training game.

The second last and last authors have equally contributed to this article.

This work was supported by the European Commission's FP6, Marie Curie Excellence Grants (MEXT-CT-2004-014203), the Centre of Excellence of Learning and Motivation Research, Academy of Finland, University of Jyväskylä (#213486 for 2006–2011), and the Hartmann Müller-Stiftung für medizinische Forschung (project No. 1252) of the University of Zurich.