Moving Forward by Looking Back: Understanding Why Some Spanish-Speaking English Learners Fall Behind

Raúl Rojas, Lindsey Hiebert, Svenja Gusewski, David J. Francis

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study investigated early indicators of Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs) at risk for reading difficulties at the end of Grade 2 by examining their early bilingual oral language development, taking into account language of academic instruction. Standardized measures of reading and narrative samples were collected in English and Spanish from kindergarten to Grade 2 from 1,243 ELs primarily instructed in English or Spanish. Conditional growth curve models yielded four primary findings of reading and oral language development. First, ELs with low reading achievement at the end of Grade 2 demonstrated early reading difficulties during kindergarten. Second, although ELs demonstrated overall higher reading achievement in their instructed language, this difference decreased over time. Third, ELs with low reading achievement at the end of Grade 2 demonstrated lower oral language skills in each language over time. Fourth, ELs demonstrated overall higher oral language skills in their instructed language, yet these differences varied over time. The study provided a detailed description of the longitudinal relations among the bilingual reading and oral language skills of Spanish-speaking ELs during the early school years. These findings help to inform the processes of early identification and intervention for Spanish-speaking ELs who are likely to demonstrate reading achievement difficulties.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)43-77
Number of pages35
JournalNew Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
Volume2019
Issue number166
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2019
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Moving Forward by Looking Back: Understanding Why Some Spanish-Speaking English Learners Fall Behind'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this