# Developmental predictors of individual differences in reading rate

> **NIH NIH F31** · FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $37,843

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
It is estimated that approximately 10% of individuals suffer from dyslexia, a neurobiological disorder
characterized by difficulty with accurate and/or fluent word reading and spelling (International
Dyslexia Association, 2002). Current best practices for reading intervention are able to help improve
accuracy in reading, yet to date there is no effective intervention for improving reading fluency beyond
improvements in accuracy (Wolf and Katzir-Cohen, 2001). Because of this, many individuals with
dyslexia struggle with fluency throughout their lifetime. One of the main barriers to developing
effective fluency interventions is a fundamental lacking in our understanding of what contributes to
fluency development. The proposed project aims to investigate what contributes to individual
differences in reading rate from a developmental (longitudinal) perspective. The primary goal of the
first study is to test the hypothesis that asymmetric development in word and non-word reading
accuracy contributes to individual differences in word reading speeds. Specifically, it is hypothesized
that those who grow more in word reading compared to non-word reading from 1st to 4th grade will
read slower on timed word reading in 4th grade after controlling for accuracy. This pattern of
asymmetric development would suggest that children may be adding whole word representations (like
sight words) without recognizing the accompanying smaller units in a word. This alternative
developmental trajectory may contribute to slower reading rates. The second study aims to
investigate this mechanism by investigating the non-word features and person characteristics that
contribute to the probability of reading a non-word correct. Specifically, it is hypothesized that slower
readers will rely more heavily on non-words to look similar to words that they know. Understanding
what contributes to individual differences in reading rate after controlling for accuracy will provide a
better foundational understanding of these individual differences as well as provide a basis for future
research for the prevention and intervention in issues in fluency.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10234993
- **Project number:** 1F31HD105460-01
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ashley Edwards
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $37,843
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-04-19 → 2023-04-18

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10234993

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10234993, Developmental predictors of individual differences in reading rate (1F31HD105460-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10234993. Licensed CC0.

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