Think kids who are gifted readers are simply born with genes that make them that way? A new study of 314 twins in kindegarten and first grade reveals that environmental factors—such as how much kids are read to, the nutritious foods they eat, the caring provided by their parents and the quality of instruction at school—are just as important for a child’s reading development as the genes they’re born with, reports the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. What the researchers found: for word and letter identification, genetics explained two-thirds of the test results, while environment explained two-thirds; for vocabulary and sound awareness, it was equally split between genetics and environment; for speed tests, it was three-quarters genetic; and for growth in reading skills, environmental factors were most important. “Regardless of where children start as far as reading skills, and the impact that genetics and environment had on their initial skills, we found that their environment had an impact in how fast or how slowly those reading skills developed,” says lead study author Stephen Petrill, Ph.D..
[photo: mexikids]
