Why Do Children Differ in Their Development of Reading and Related Skills?

Abstract

Modern behavior-genetic studies of twins in the United States, Australia, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom show that genes account for most of the variance in children's reading ability by the end of the 1st year of formal reading instruction. Strong genetic influence continues across the grades, though the relevant genes vary for reading words and comprehending text, and some of the genetic influence comes through a gene-environment correlation. Strong genetic influences do not diminish the importance of the environment for reading development in the population and for helping struggling readers, but they question setting the same minimal performance criterion for all children.