Visuo-Spatial Abilities and Phonological Awareness as Predictors of Reading Accuracy in Arabic Children With and Without Dyslexia

Although the link between developmental dyslexia and visual-spatial deficit has been recurrently highlighted, the relationship between visual-spatial abilities and reading performance is still a controversial issue, considering the orthographic variability of the language being learned. This study aimed to examine whether visuo-spatial abilities (i.e. attention, short-term memory, and relations) contribute significantly to predicting word and pseudo-word reading independently of phonological awareness in Arabic speaking children in grades 4 and 5. An inter-groups comparison between two groups of readers comprising typical readers (n = 44) and children with dyslexia (n = 32). All participants were tested in phonological (phonological awareness) and visuo-spatial measures (visual short-term memory test, visuo-spatial attention, and visuo-spatial relations). Results showed that typical readers outperformed the group of dyslexics in all the phonological and visuo-spatial measures. Visuo-spatial abilities were also a contributing factor in predicting word reading after controlling for phonological awareness, age, and non-verbal reasoning. Findings indicate that vowelised word reading in Arabic is heavily underpinned by phonological awareness and visuo-spatial abilities, found to be impaired in a group with dyslexia. Findings are viewed in the frame that reveals the integrated roles of phonological awareness and visual and spatial abilities in reading development.

• developmental dyslexia
• visuospatial ability
• phonological awareness
• reading accuracy
• Arabic reading
• visual short-term memory
• visuospatial attention
• pseudoword reading
• children
• reading development

• 4 — Éducation de qualité

• Reading and Literacy Development
• Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
• Language Development and Disorders
• developmental dyslexia
• visuospatial ability
• phonological awareness
• reading accuracy
• Arabic reading
• visual short-term memory
• visuospatial attention
• pseudoword reading
• Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
• Psychology