Orthographic knowledge mediates the link between environmental print attention and early reading ability.

Children are exposed to a vast amount of environmental print (EP, such as "KFC" on billboards) at an early age. Attention to words in EP closely correlates with children's reading ability. However, how children's attention to words in EP is related to their early reading ability remains unclear. We addressed this issue by examining the mediating effect of orthographic knowledge on the association between children's attention to words in EP and their reading ability. Results revealed that children's reading ability was closely associated with both their attention to words in EP and orthographic knowledge. Furthermore, children's attention to words in EP was significantly correlated with their orthographic knowledge. Importantly, orthographic knowledge was found to serve as a mediator in the association between attention to words in EP and reading ability. These findings advance the understanding of the potential role of EP in early reading development.