Paired associate learning (PAL) is thought to tap basic
associative learning mechanisms by requiring the pairing
of a stimulus and response item in memory. Evidence suggests,
however, that not all PAL tasks are created equal
when it comes to the relationship with reading ability. Decades
of research have documented visual–verbal PAL (i.e.,
pairing a visually-presented symbol with a verbal output,
normally a nonword) deficits in children with dyslexia, despite
age-appropriate performance in nonverbal tasks such
as visual–visual PAL (i.e., pairing a visually-presented symbol
with another visually presented symbol). This reliable pattern of
PAL deficits in dyslexia is observed across languages, despite
variations in orthographic, phonological, and morphological
complexity. Indeed, across the range of abilities, visual–verbal
PAL shares a robust and specific relationship with reading
skill