Iwordd 2026, From Theory to Practice

https://www.bcbl.eu/events/iwordd-practice/en/

School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh

What has genetics done for reading research lately?

Tremendous progress has been made in the last decade in identifying genetic variants and biological pathways involved in reading development and dyslexia. In this talk, I will summarise the most recent key findings from genome-wide association studies which are centred on common genetic variants in the population. I will then outline the ways in which these findings can be used to inform our understanding of genetic overlap among cognitive processes assumed to underlie reading skill and among traits that tend to co-occur with dyslexia. This will include some of our recent findings using genomicSEM and polygenic prediction methods, and notably, a study that triangulates data from genetics, brain imaging, and reading behavioural phenotypes (highlighting the way in which genetics can bridge to behaviour). To end, I will discuss current directions in complex trait genetics and where this might lead reading research.
 

Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University

The typical and atypical reading brain: How a neurobiological framework of early language and reading development can inform educational practice and policy

Learning trajectories are shaped by the dynamic interplay between nature and nurture, starting in utero and continuing throughout the lifespan. Learning differences/disabilities are often not identified until childhood or adolescence, but divergent trajectories of brain development may be present as early as the prenatal period. Furthermore, children's experiences and their interactions with their environment have long-lasting influences on cognitive and brain development and future academic outcomes. This talk will focus on learning differences in reading acquisition within a learning disability framework. It will present results from our longitudinal behavioral and neuroimaging studies that characterize differences in learning to read as a complex outcome of cumulative risk and protective factors interacting within and across genetic, neurobiological, cognitive, and environmental levels from infancy to adulthood. Results are discussed within an early multifactorial framework of learning differences, emphasizing screening in educational and community settings, early identification, preventative strategies, and a research-to-practice tool development pipeline. Finally, using a global lens, the implications of these findings for contemporary challenges in educational, clinical, and policy practice are discussed

Stanford Graduate School of Education, University of Stanford

Stability and plasticity in the reading circuitry

Educational interventions offer a powerful tool to understand how a child’s environment shapes the development of specialized brain circuits for new cognitive functions such as literacy. I will first present a series of intervention studies that highlight the dynamic interplay between white matter plasticity, functional properties of the reading circuitry, and the process of learning to read. Specifically, I will discuss findings demonstrating that while structural pathways undergo rapid, intensive-instruction-dependent remodeling, some aspects of the underlying functional architecture of the visual system remain remarkably stable. By examining the long-term effects of intervention programs in children with dyslexia, I will present a new framework for considering the balance between stability and plasticity in the developing brain and its implications for learning disabilities like dyslexia.

(CNRS, Ecole Normal Supérieure, Paris)

Title of the symposium: "Gene-environment interplay on reading and dyslexia"

(University of Oslo)

Title of the symposium: " Bridging Neurogenetic and Behavioural Research: Possible Implications for Language and Reading Interventions"

The conference will take place at the Palacio Miramar in Donostia - San Sebastián, the Basque Country, which is located adjacent to the sea and just a short 5-10 minute walk from the city center.

How to get there

Professor in Psychology / Director of Research

Bangor University, Wales, UK