Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Do Genetics Play a Role in Reading Ability?




Have you ever wondered why some people can finish an entire book in one day while others struggle to finish a book in a month?  According to Florida State University researchers, there is a possible genetic factor in reading ability.

In this study, the reading capabilities of 1,313 sets of twins from kindergarten to third grade were tested.  34% of these twins were identical while 66% were fraternal. In studies like this, twins are often used to determine whether a certain factor is environmental or genetic. Identical twins have the exact same DNA while fraternal twins are more like regular siblings with a different genetic code. 

The twin students were distributed among differently ranked schools. They were given five reading assessments which included recognizing letters of the alphabet, knowing and recalling the first letter of a word, dividing words into syllables, reading with fluidity, and correcting syllables of made-up words.  

It was determined that if identical twins are more similar than fraternal twins in their learning ability, it is probable that genetics play a role in reading comprehension.  If both groups of twins are equal in similarity, it is probable that environmental factors determine reading comprehension.  However, if identical twins differ in their learning ability it is suggested that the non-shared environment is the leading factor in reading comprehension.  Essentially, if two identical twins raised in different households and attend differently ranked schools yet still have the same academic ability, then it is clear that genetics determine this capability. 

So next time you're stressing out over a reading assignment while all your friends are breezing through it with complete comprehension, just remember that they could have some type of genetic advantage.  





6 comments:

  1. This is a very informative blog! Personally, I was never a strong reader because I always took twice as long to finish a simple reading assignment. Therefore, I definitely feel like I do not have this genetic advantage regarding reading skills. This must be a great advantage to have!

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  2. This is a very informative blog! Personally, I was never a strong reader because I always took twice as long to finish a simple reading assignment. Therefore, I definitely feel like I do not have this genetic advantage regarding reading skills. This must be a great advantage to have!

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  3. This is my first time knowing that reading ability was possibly linked to genetics! I personally have a lot of trouble finishing any type of reading in a short amount of time. I really wish I had this ability because I still love to read. Therefore, if the results confirm the cause of the reading ability, I would definitely be able to confirm that I lack this gene.

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  4. It is interesting that the study was done with twins. It makes sense that if the twins were raised in different households and still have the same academic ability, then genetics plays into it. I have always been a fast reader, so I guess I have the genetic advantage.

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  5. I found this blog post to be very relevant. Reading comprehension has always been an interesting topic to me considering that I am not too great of a reader. This inspires me to do more research on the topic to discover methods of improving my reading speed, even though I may be genetically inferior to others.

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  6. This is great to know about! I am not a fast reader, and I always took a very long time completing reading assignments. I always wondered why I am not reading as fast as my friends or classmates. I am glad genetics might play a role in reading ability. I admire individuals who are able to read a book in one day and complete reading assignments in a short amount of time.

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