I'll show you how to read! An experimental study on how print referencing biases preschoolers' reading and writing direction.

Before becoming literate, children begin to recognize that reading and writing follow a particular direction. However, little is known about the acquisition of such knowledge. This study examines the role of directional referencing to print during joint reading. German-speaking preschoolers (N = 136, Mage = 5.0 years, 72 female, 70% from native German-speaking families, data collected 2020-2024 in Germany) were introduced to an artificial vertical script that was read to them and traced either in a top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top direction. Afterward, the children completed three tasks: reading, writing, and visual search. Children's performance in all tasks was shaped by the direction of print referencing. These findings suggest that directional text tracing may be an efficient tool for enhancing directionality acquisition.