{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T12:19:19Z","timestamp":1777897159853,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]],"date-time":"2023-05-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685318400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Percept Mot Skills"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Because reading\/writing is a fundamental tool for children\u2019s development, the main failure in its learning\u2014developmental dyslexia\u2014gives rise to many attempts to remediate. A recent remedy proposed by Mather (2022), published in Perceptual and Motor Skills [129(3), p. 468], is impressive through its radical nature and the extent of its consequences. It consists of delaying the teaching of writing to the age of 7\u20138 years, whereas, at present, most children in Western or comparable cultures learn to write even before compulsory school (generally at age six). In this article, I present a set of arguments whose addition and possible interaction lead, if not to reject, at least to restrict Mather\u2019s proposal. My arguments show both the inefficiency of Mather\u2019s proposal through two observational studies, its practical inapplicability in contemporary society, the importance of learning to write at least in the first year of elementary school, and the stinging past failure of a math reform of similar scope (i.e., learning to count). I also question the neurological theory underlying Mather\u2019s proposal, and, finally, I point out that, even if delaying learning to write were limited to students who Mather expects (at age six) to experience future dyslexia, this remedy would be inapplicable and probably ineffective.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/00315125231179780","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]],"date-time":"2023-05-29T16:55:30Z","timestamp":1685379330000},"page":"1415-1432","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Preventing the Development of Dyslexia: A Reply to Mather"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"130","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7471-6891","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean-Paul","family":"Fischer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universit\u00e9 de Lorraine, Nancy, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jecp.2015.12.009"},{"key":"bibr2-00315125231179780","volume-title":"Evolution of the alphabet","author":"Baker M.","year":"2018"},{"key":"bibr3-00315125231179780","volume-title":"Annexe : Programme d\u2019enseignement de l\u2019\u00e9cole maternelle","author":"BO","year":"2021"},{"key":"bibr4-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3758\/s13423-014-0663-9"},{"key":"bibr5-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/713754206"},{"key":"bibr6-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3406\/hel.1997.2581"},{"key":"bibr7-00315125231179780","first-page":"174","volume":"78","author":"Chartrel E.","year":"2004","journal-title":"A.N.A.E"},{"key":"bibr8-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2003.12.049"},{"key":"bibr9-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/h0081738"},{"key":"bibr10-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fnhum.2018.00140"},{"key":"bibr11-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/h0080122"},{"key":"bibr12-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10339-008-0233-z"},{"key":"bibr13-00315125231179780","volume-title":"Reading in the brain: The new science of how we read","author":"Dehaene S.","year":"2010"},{"key":"bibr14-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1348\/174866407X180783"},{"key":"bibr15-00315125231179780","volume-title":"La fabrique du cr\u00e9tin digital : Les dangers des \u00e9crans pour nos enfants","author":"Desmurget M.","year":"2019"},{"key":"bibr16-00315125231179780","volume-title":"Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders","author":"DSM-5","year":"2013","edition":"5"},{"key":"bibr17-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cognition.2020.104493"},{"key":"bibr18-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jecp.2017.02.003"},{"key":"bibr19-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/cdev.12550"},{"key":"bibr20-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cortex.2011.01.010"},{"key":"bibr21-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jecp.2013.02.003"},{"key":"bibr22-00315125231179780","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01443410.2017.1359239"},{"key":"bibr23-00315125231179780","volume-title":"Children\u2019s mirror writing: A comprehensive story","author":"Fischer J. 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