Goal-directedness enhances letter-speech sound learning and consolidation in an unknown orthography

Abstract

This study examined how top-down control influenced letter-speech sound (L-SS) learning, the initial phase of learning to read. In 2020, 107 Dutch children (53 boys, M_age = 106.845 months) learned eight L-SS correspondences, either preceded by goal-directed or implicit instructions. Symbol knowledge and artificial word-reading ability were assessed immediately after learning and on the subsequent day to examine the effect of sleep. Goal-directed children were faster and more efficient in learning a new script and had better learning outcomes compared to children who were not instructed about the goal of the task. This study demonstrates that directing children toward the goal can promote L-SS learning and consolidation, giving insights into how top-down control influences the initial phase of reading acquisition.