Children at high risk for dyslexia find it difficult to learn absurd words

Researchers at Aalto University and the Niilo Mäki Institute used neuroimaging to determine where the brain activates – or does not activate – in children identified as at high risk for dyslexia. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has rarely been used to study reading impairment in children.

The brain study was performed at Aalto University by measuring brain activity with MEG, which measures weak magnetic fields resulting from electrical activity in the brain, over a period of two days. Previous studies have shown that difficulties in processing sound may be partly responsible for dyslexia, and that these difficulties may be related to the left auditory cortex which processes language.

During the study, the children listened to absurd four-syllable words from a loudspeaker and were asked to repeat them. The researchers then asked the children if they had ever heard the word.

“The words were absurd words that really didn’t mean anything. We wanted to see how the children learned to create memories of new words. We have noticed that children at high risk for dyslexia also have deficits in learning new words by hearing them. Their memories of new words were not very precise and they were not able to differentiate the coined words from each other. This indicates a wider difficulty in processing words in the brain, which also makes learning to read more difficult, ” says Dr Anni Nora, postdoctoral researcher who developed the MEG measurement test with Professor Riitta. Salmelin and Assistant Professor Hanna Renvall. at Aalto University.

Neural activation in the right cerebral hemisphere of children at high risk for dyslexia was comparable to that of children in the control group. Problems with processing the sound content of speech and learning new words involved the activity of the auditory cortex of the left hemisphere – the area of ​​the brain that specializes in processing language and speech, and where the brain is located. word memory support.

Much less brain activation has been found in the left cerebral hemisphere in children at risk for dyslexia. Particularly in children, language and speech processing can also be observed in the right hemisphere, but over time the focus shifts to the left side – each side focuses on more specific tasks as they progress. as children grow up. It would be interesting to know whether reading and writing problems are caused by the specialization of the cerebral hemispheres. “

Dr Anni Nora, Postdoctoral Fellow, Aalto University

The study participants were in their first and second years of school and had been identified, with the help of a teacher, as high risk. The research team performed neuropsychological examinations, tested reading and writing skills and cognitive abilities, and measured brain function. Children were also asked about their motivation, including their beliefs about their own reading skills.

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Abnormal brain activity at age 7 or 8 did not completely predict later reading development; other factors appear to be involved, including a child’s belief in their own ability to learn. The Niilo Mäki Institute took this question further, using tools and tests, including a game called GraphoLearn (in Finnish Ekapeli), which is used to teach Finnish children to read.

“The children were asked to read aloud insignificant words and pseudo-words that they could not guess. The study also included a part testing how GraphoLearn affected reading and writing difficulties. In general, playing this learning game did not have a significant effect. But children who were confident in their reading skills got an added advantage by playing the game, and they made better progress in their reading skills than those in the control group. It might be a good idea to develop tools for special education teachers to help them support children’s self-efficacy, ”says postdoctoral researcher Miia Ronimus of the Niilo Mäki Institute.

GraphoLearn is a mobile learning game developed at the University of Jyväskylä and the Niilo Mäki Institute. Players relate letters to speech sounds and the game adapts to the child’s skill level. Children with the lowest reading and writing skills were selected for the six-week GraphoLearn period. Supervision of the exercise was left to teachers and parents. Based on the study, features like hints and verbal comments were added to the game.

“The learning game now offers tips on how to improve performance. If a child reacts very quickly, for example, the game may ask them to calm down and slow down, ”says Ronimus.