Wanted: Children to Participate in the Great Letterprins Study

Learning to read well is crucial for many aspects of life. However, learning to read well requires a lot of practice, even outside the classroom. To help children with this, the reading game Letterprins was developed by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics (MPI) and Radboud University in Nijmegen. This game for children starting from grade 3 has already won many awards and is popular in many primary schools and homes.

The influence of DNA on reading skills of children

To better help children with learning to read, it is important to understand how they learn to read. In the Great Letterprins Study, researchers will investigate whether our DNA influences how and how quickly children learn to read. 

“Research with twins has shown that DNA also plays a role,” says Ingrid Szilagyi, a language geneticist at our institute. “In identical twins, who share the same DNA, reading behavior is more similar than in fraternal twins. The more we know about the influence of DNA differences, the better we can develop teaching methods that match children with varying reading levels.”

Monitored whilst playing

To conduct thorough research, the researchers need many children to participate in the Great Letterprins Study. They are looking for children who want to start playing Letterprins, or are currently playing it, or have played it before. For the study, children will be monitored while they use Letterprins. 



“Most studies measure how well children read at just one or a few points in time. But with this app, children use it every day throughout the year. This allows us to not only see how well the children can read but also how they learn,” says Szilagyi.

The researchers will focus on children between the ages of 6 and 11. During this period, most children learn to read and develop rapidly, especially in language skills such as vocabulary and sentence structure. 

Participate and help decrease illiteracy?

Children can register to participate in the study here Children who participate will, along with their parents/guardians, complete an online questionnaire and send in a saliva sample. With this information, the researchers will explore the role of DNA in children's reading ability. Visit this website for more information or to sign up.

Also read these news items by De Gelderlander, De Stentor and AD.