Why does oral fluency predict silent reading comprehension? Neurocognitive markers of implicit meter as a potential mediator

PROJECT SUMMARY
Oral reading fluency predicts silent reading comprehension in developing readers, but the underlying
neurocognitive mechanisms of this relationship are unknown. It is critical to understand these mechanisms, as
the relationship between fluency and comprehension supports the inclusion of fluency in national literacy policy;
fluency instruction to improve comprehension however, cannot be optimized if the mechanistic pathway linking
these faculties is unclear. Moreover, understanding the mechanistic pathway between fluency and
comprehension in typical reading development can provide neurocognitive targets for remediation in struggling
readers, including children diagnosed with dyslexia. Oral reading prosody, a component of oral reading fluency,
has recently been shown to carry a unique portion of the fluency to comprehension relationship, that is separable
from the contributions of automatic decoding. We propose that meter, a component of prosody concerning the
organization of stress, plays a key role in this process. Our overarching hypothesis is that maturation of oral
reading prosody coincides with maturing fluency of “inner voice” auditory imagery (i.e., implicit prosody) during
silent reading, leading to improved comprehension. We predict that developing readers with improved oral
reading meter will have improved implicit representation of metric structure at the neural level (Aim 1), and
improved application of implicit metric structure during silent reading (Aim 2), in a manner that improves silent
reading comprehension (Aim 3). We will test our hypothesis by measuring oral reading meter, neural implicit
metric representation, and realization of implicit metric structure in eye movements during silent reading in
children between the ages of 6 and 10 years old, a developmental epoch within which oral prosody and silent
reading undergo significant maturation. We will model how the adult-likeness of implicit metric representation
and realization mediate the relationship between oral reading meter and standardized measures of silent reading
comprehension, covarying for automatic decoding and phonological awareness. This work will provide clear
insight into the mechanisms relating oral reading fluency to silent reading comprehension, which will inform
national educational policy and provide mechanistic targets for remediation training in struggling readers.
Moreover, this work will provide our team of undergraduate researchers training in using human
electrophysiology and behavior to interrogate the neurocognitive underpinnings of complex behavioral
development, providing footing for a competitive future in academia, clinical practice, or biomedical industry.

Grant Number: 1R15HD109686-01
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Mara Breen