Neuropsychological Correlates of Linguistic Skills in At-Risk and Typically Developing Readers Across Educational Stages

Background: Reading is a fundamental skill for children’s cognitive, social, and academic development which relies on the integration of multiple linguistic and cognitive abilities. Longitudinal studies consistently show that oral language skills predict reading development both in typically developing children and in those at risk for reading difficulties (RD). Despite strong empirical evidence, a gap remains between research and educational practice. Objective: The present study aims to compare linguistic variables, including vocabulary, oral text comprehension, oral morphological awareness (OMA), and morphological skills between diagnostic group (control vs. at-risk), study grade, and sex. Method: The study included 93 Spanish-speaking children aged 6 to 12 years (M = 8.7, SD = 1.9; 50 boys, 43 girls). Two diagnostic groups were established: 44 children at risk of reading difficulties (including ADHD or DLD) and 49 typically developing controls. Participants were also classified by academic cycle: 55 in the first cycle (1st–2nd grade) and 38 in the second cycle or higher (3rd–6th grade). Linguistic variables were measured through tests administered individually, with data collected during one-on-one assessment sessions. Results: Among the variables analysed, significant differences were observed only in morphological skills and OMA. No significant differences were found based on sex, whereas both academic cycle and diagnostic group showed significant effects. Conclusion: The most relevant and novel finding is that the type and frequency of errors in the OMA task could serve as an early indicator of students at risk of RD. OMA assessment could therefore be a promising method of early screening and targeted interventions.