Skip to main content

ETHNOS_APP

Home • Search • Journals • List 0

What does genetic research tell us about the origins of language and literacy development? A reflection on Verhoef et al. (2020)

Bibliographic Data

ID21344663
AuthorsBonnie Wing‐yin Chow (0000-0002-3995-7358, City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China, corresponding author), Simpson W L Wong (0000-0002-6606-6382, Hong Kong Baptist University Hong Kong China)
Year2021
Volume62
Issue6
Pages739-741
Publication date2021-06-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-9630 • E-ISSN: 1469-7610
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jcpp.13399
PMID33631837
OpenAlexW3129213597
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited7

Quantitative genetic research has set the stage for the exploration of genetic influences and the underlying mechanisms that undergird language and literacy development. Following this line of enquiry, Verhoef et al. (2020) address a critical issue related to genetic processes by comparing whether the genetic mechanism known as innovation or amplification plays a more pivotal role in literacy development during the period of early childhood to early adolescence, using the cutting‐edge technique called the genome‐wide complex trait analysis. This commentary reviews and discusses the implications of the provocative findings that stem from their study and offers concrete directions for future research. Embedded in our reflections are discussions related to the generalist genes vs genetic specificity debate, language universality vs specificity, as well as the role of environment in genetic influences. Taken together, the discussions in the commentary have highlighted the need for more in‐depth explorations of the interplay between genes and literacy development through a multi‐disciplinary approach

Biology · Critical reflection · Discipline · Engineering ethics · Epistemology · Literacy · Mechanism (biology) · Pedagogy · Social science · Sociology · Child Development and Digital Technology · Engineering · Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Reading and Literacy Development

  • Unequal educational outcomes for children with similar early childhood vocabulary but different socioeconomic circumstances

    Open Access•Emma Thornton, Danielle Matthews et al.•Journal of Child Psychology and…•2026

  • The developmental origins of genetic factors influencing language and literacy

    Open Access•Ellen Verhoef, Chin Yang Shapland et al.•Journal of Child Psychology and…•2021

  • Generalist Genes and Learning Disabilities

    Robert Plomin, Yulia Kovas•Psychological Bulletin•2005

Citations per year1
Citation span2026 - 2026 (1)
Highly citedNo

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access
Ethnos_APP • Open Source Project • MIT License • Frontend v2.0.0 • Privacy and Cookies • API Documentation: api.ethnos.app/docs • API Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17049435 • Frontend Source Code: GitHub • DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17050053 • cruz.rio.br • Expectantes Misericordiae