For decades, explanations for why some children struggle with reading have often focused on two factors: intelligence and the ability to process visual information. Children who read easily have frequently been assumed to be more intelligent, while those who struggle have sometimes been viewed as less capable. Another common belief is that reading difficulties arise primarily from problems interpreting the words and letters on a page.
However, a major new study challenges these assumptions, suggesting that the abilities most important for reading success may be very different from what many people expect.
Dr. Daniel Hajovsky, an associate professor in Texas A&M University’s Department of Educational Psychology, led one of the most extensive investigations to date into how cognitive abilities relate to reading performance. The research brought together scientists from the University of Kansas, St. John’s University, Montclair State University and Temple University to examine which mental skills best predict reading development and why some children encounter difficulties.
Massive Study Reveals What Really Predicts Reading Success
To investigate these relationships, the researchers combined 50,000 correlations drawn from 137 cognitive and achievement test batteries into a single statistical model. This large-scale approach allowed them to assess the contribution of individual mental abilities to reading performance while also helping clarify why previous studies had sometimes produced conflicting conclusions.
The findings revealed several surprises. Visual processing showed no meaningful relationship with reading ability across the analysis. General intelligence was associated with reading performance, but its influence was considerably smaller than some earlier research had suggested.
Instead, two less frequently discussed abilities emerged as particularly important predictors of reading success: auditory processing and comprehension-knowledge.
“One notable finding was that general intelligence was less dominant than in some earlier meta-analyses,” Hajovsky said. “Broad abilities such as comprehension-knowledge and auditory processing played strong, specific roles in reading beyond general intelligence, especially for decoding and comprehension.”
Two Overlooked Skills Play a Major Role in Reading
Auditory processing involves recognizing and distinguishing the individual sounds that make up spoken words. For example, a child needs to identify the separate sounds within a word to understand how those sounds correspond to written letters. This skill helps support decoding, the process of working out how written words are pronounced.
Comprehension-knowledge refers to the vocabulary, concepts and background information a child has accumulated through learning and everyday experiences. Having this foundation makes it easier to understand the meaning of words, sentences and longer passages.
Together, these two abilities were more reliable predictors of reading performance than any other skills examined in the study. Other cognitive functions, including memory, reasoning and mental processing speed, also contributed to reading development, although they played more supporting roles.
The results suggest that reading is not simply a reflection of overall intelligence or how effectively a child processes visual information. Instead, it depends on several interconnected abilities, with language-related skills playing especially important roles.
What the Findings Mean for Children Who Struggle to Read
The research could help educators better understand why individual students experience reading difficulties. Rather than treating all reading problems as the same, teachers may be able to identify particular weaknesses and provide instruction that addresses those needs.
For families, the findings also offer an encouraging message. A child who has trouble reading is not necessarily less intelligent or incapable of becoming a strong reader. Difficulties may instead reflect specific abilities that need additional development and support.
“Strengthening foundational skills at home, even the ones that seem simple, can have meaningful effects on more advanced reading abilities,” Hajovsky said. “Struggles in reading are not a sign of low ability but often reflect one specific skill that needs strengthening within a larger system that works together.”
The findings highlight the value of helping children build essential reading skills through consistent support, both in the classroom and at home.
According to Hajovsky, the most effective approach involves cooperation among schools, parents, and communities. Reading develops through a network of connected skills, and strengthening those foundations one step at a time can help children become more confident and capable readers.
