The longitudinal interplay of print exposure and auditory brain responses in the prediction of reading skills

Auditory brain responses’ longitudinal interplay with print exposure and their effects on reading skills were examined in children aged 4–10 years. Print exposure was represented by parent–child shared reading and children’s independent engagement, whereas speech/non-speech stimuli were used to evoke brain responses (N250). We evaluated the roles of familial risk (dyslexia) and parental education and found a link between print exposure and brain responses to speech at two timepoints in the longitudinal path model. A reciprocal association existed between independent print exposure and brain responses to speech, whereas speech/non-speech brain responses predicted school-age independent print exposure. Shared reading was positively associated with brain responses to speech stimuli at age 9, whereas independent print exposure was associated with later reading fluency. Family risk for dyslexia predicted reading accuracy and fluency, which did not run via print exposure or brain responses. The underlying mechanisms require further investigation by combining environmental, genetic predisposition and brain and skill development models.