The way children follow moving objects with their eyes may reveal abilities that later help them learn to read. A study by the University of Fribourg shows that pre-readers who performed better at the video game Fruit Ninja were also faster at naming pictured objects – an established indicator of reading readiness.

Reading involves more than recognising letters and sounds. It also requires children to direct their attention, move their eyes efficiently and process visual information quickly. Researchers from the University of Fribourg’s Department of Neuro- and Movement Sciences investigated whether these abilities can already be observed before formal reading instruction begins.

Following children’s eyes
The study involved 34 German-speaking children aged four to six. They played Fruit Ninja for 20 minutes while wearing eye-tracking glasses. The game requires players to react quickly to fruits appearing unpredictably on the screen while avoiding bombs.

The children also completed a rapid naming task in which they had to name pictured objects as quickly and accurately as possible. Performance in this task is known to be associated with later reading fluency.

A shared set of abilities
Children who scored higher in Fruit Ninja also tended to name objects more quickly. The eye-tracking data showed that children reacted fastest when using their peripheral vision. However, their ability to look directly at a fruit and respond efficiently was more closely linked to their rapid naming performance.

The children also moved their eyes more quickly towards fruits appearing in their right visual field. As a similar advantage is found in people who read from left to right, and not in dyslexics, the result suggests that the visual system may begin preparing for reading before formal instruction starts.

The next step: following reading development
«These findings suggest that some of the visual and attentional abilities required for reading begin to develop before children receive formal reading instruction», says Michael Schmid, co-author of the study. «The next step is to follow children over time and determine whether these early patterns actually predict their later reading development.»

However, the researchers caution that the study involved a small sample of mostly bilingual children and identifies associations rather than causes. At this point, it does not show that playing Fruit Ninja improves reading or that the game can diagnose dyslexia. A larger longitudinal study could clarify whether the observed patterns can help identify children who may benefit from early support and whether targeted training is effective.

«This research is a great example of close and sustainable collaboration between schools, parents, researchers and cantonal authorities», says Katharina M. Fromm, Rector of the University of Fribourg. «By working together, we can generate reliable knowledge that creates real added value for society, ultimately benefiting children in the early stages of learning and deepening our understanding of how they learn.»

The study was published in iScience.

Publication
Niloufar Chamani, Samy Rima and Michael Christoph Schmid: «Motion perception and eye movements predict reading readiness: Evidence from pre-readers in an action video game task.»
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.117063

The illustrative image was created using AI.