The Development of Oculomotor Coordination and its Relationship to Reading Skill

Children must develop quick and precise eye movements for processing visual information across various domains, including reading, visual search, scene perception, joint attention, and motor control. Prior research suggests that eye movement precision continues to develop through adolescence (Helo et al., 2014; Kim et al., 2022; Reichle et al., 2013) but the underlying factors remain unclear. Reading may contribute to this development, as dyslexia has been linked to unstable oculomotor control in reading tasks (Eden et al., 1994), and reading may provide a form of practice for oculomotor control. This longitudinal study examines factors influencing oculomotor planning in a sample of 206 children aged 7-12 with varying language and reading abilities. Results show that oculomotor planning becomes faster and more accurate as children age, and with better reading. We also observe differences in how oculomotor coordination to properties of the display (e.g., distance and direction) both developmentally and with differences in reading. Findings are discussed in relation to developmental theories of processing speed and reading experience, along with implications for typical developmental experimental paradigms like the Visual World Paradigm or passage reading.