Early Indicators of Later English Reading Comprehension Outcomes Among Children From Spanish-Speaking Homes

Abstract

In this longitudinal study, we examined the relationship between primary grade (K-2) Spanish and English language- and word-based skills and later English reading comprehension (RC) outcomes (Grades 5 and 8) among children (n = 148) from immigrant, Spanish-speaking, low-income homes in English instructional contexts since Kindergarten entry. As expected, early skills, especially those in English, contributed to later RC outcomes. Most uniquely, we identified a developmental shift in the contribution of language- and word-based skills on students’ RC outcomes. Specifically, word-based skills were consistently predictive of Grade 5 RC outcomes whereas the contribution of language-based skills emerged for Grade 8 RC outcomes. Finally, we also found that the relationship between early skills and later RC outcomes varied depending on students’ RC levels. These results underscore the increasingly important role that early language-based skills play for later English reading comprehension outcomes and we discuss theoretical and practical implications of this work.

Integrating Identification and Instructional Practices to Serve at‐risk English Learners: A Commentary on the Special Issue

“…If the articles in this special issue share one central theme, it is that student‐ and setting‐level characteristics must inform an approach to identifying and supporting ELs at‐risk for reading difficulties. Moreover, consistent with a robust research base with English‐only speakers, they also highlight how EL‐specific risk profiles, or “early warning indicators,” such as low performance on measures of oral language development in English at the start of kindergarten, might offer a promising approach to identification (Francis et al., this issue; Mancilla‐Martinez & Lesaux, ; Rojas, Hiebert, Gusewski, & Francis, this issue). Indeed, without targeted and intensive efforts, low oral language at kindergarten entry is likely to persist and ultimately negatively impact reading comprehension.…”

“…The three remaining studies define their at‐risk readers by examining these foundational word‐level skills—including PA and other code‐based skills—as well as meaning‐based competencies. Research indicates that meaning‐based competencies, which include comprehension skills and vocabulary knowledge, must be developed over many years and are key sources of lasting individual differences in reading ability, especially among ELs (e.g., Mancilla‐Martinez & Lesaux, ; Mancilla‐Martinez & Lesaux, ; Snow & Uccelli, ). To that end, in their efforts to identify the evidence‐based instructional practices that best support at‐risk ELs, Hall, Steinle, and Vaughn explore the importance of both code‐ and meaning‐based skills in detail and in the context of instruction.…”

Connections Between Reading Comprehension and Word‐Problem Solving via Oral Language Comprehension: Implications for Comorbid Learning Disabilities

“…Yet, the school‐age population of nonnative English speakers is growing rapidly (National Center for Education Statistics, ; McFarland et al., ), and databases reveal a main effect, in which nonnative English speakers’ math and reading performance falls substantially below that of native English speakers (National Center for Education Statistics, ). Moreover, in this population, studies document the relation of vocabulary and/or syntax with word‐problem solving (e.g., Foster, Anthony, Zucker, & Branum‐Martin, ; Méndez, Hammer, Lopez, & Blair, ) and reading comprehension (Mancilla‐Martinez & Lesaux, ; Nakamoto, Lindsey, & Manis, ; Proctor, Carlo, August, & Snow, ).…”

The Role of Linguistic Diversity in the Prediction of Early Reading Comprehension: A Quantile Regression Approach

“…By using a quantile regression approach, recent studies have revealed that explanatory factors can vary across the range of word reading ability (McIlraith & LRRC, 2016) and reading comprehension ability (Hua & Keenan;LRRC & Logan, 2017;Mancilla-Martinez & Lesaux, 2017;Tighe & Schatschneider, 2016). Hua and Keenan (2017) showed that for several reading comprehension tests, the contribution of word decoding skills and listening comprehension varied as a function of reading comprehension ability in younger and older readers (8-18 years).…”

“…It was concluded that quantile regression is a useful approach for the study of reading in both typical and atypical readers. With respect to the latter, there is one quantile regression study with only L2 readers showing that the relation between early language skills and later reading comprehension outcomes was stronger for L2 readers with higher ability levels (Mancilla-Martinez & Lesaux, 2017).…”