Models of the association between conversational language and reading. Threshold model (a), in which conversational language relates to reading up to a certain point in development; two-stage reading model (b), in which oral language skills, such as semantics and morphosyntax, contribute to differences in reading as reading skills transition from decoding to comprehension; and subpopulations model (c), in which the relationship between conversational language and reading differs across groups of children with different predispositions to early language learning. Conv. lang. = conversational language; hx = history; exp. = expressive.