Early Literacy Skill Growth in Spanish-Speaking Children With and At Risk for Disabilities in Early Childhood

Abstract

For young Spanish–English dual language learners (SE-DLLs), early literacy skills, including phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge in Spanish as well as English, are crucial to their reading success. However, there is a lack of research about how SE-DLLs develop early literacy skills, and how their rates of performance can inform evidence-based intervention. This article examined to what degree SE-DLLs with disabilities or at risk for later reading difficulties on early literacy skills demonstrated growth on English and Spanish measures of early literacy when compared with their typically developing peers. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze growth for 325 SE-DLLs on four Individual Growth and Development Indicators that assessed phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge in English and Spanish. Results indicated that at-risk and typically developing children showed significant slopes for all measures and that at-risk children grew faster than typically developing children on Spanish alphabet knowledge measures.

ECE Teachers’ Roles of Developing Numeracy Literacy in Special Needs Children

“…Literacy and numeracy skills for special needs children are a concern for educators, considering that most special needs children have different benchmarks of literacy and numeracy skills compared to the development of children in general (Wackerle-Hollman et al, 2020). Special needs children in early childhood education should be equipped with an adequate foundation of literacy and numeracy skills (Khasanah & Purnamasari, 2023).…”

Predicting Written Language Competence and Pragmatics in Students at Risk of Reading Disability in Oman Using Teacher Report Data

“…With the above in mind, one goal of the current study was to collect data on classroom teachers’ observations of language and literacy skills and to determine the extent to which competence in pragmatics predicts reading comprehension and writing-related skills (and the reverse) in students referred for reading disabilities in Grades 2 through 6 in Oman. An additional goal of the study was to determine whether gender or grade differences in teacher’s ratings exist and to see whether the associations between observed pragmatic language skills and observed written language skills are influenced by gender and grade level, given the evidence that (a) boys in many English-speaking countries often exhibit poorer word reading skills (e.g., Wackerle-Hollman et al, 2020) and oral language comprehension (Helland et al, 2016) than girls and (b) the shifting gender makeup of classrooms across grades in Oman (see below). Our study was guided by the following research questions:…”

Hearing Their Voices: Parents’ Perceptions of Preschool Special Education Evaluations With Dual-Language Learners

“…While this is recognized as a best practice, it is also a barrier due to limitations in normative data across multiple language groups. Wackerle-Hollman and Durán (2020) note the importance of having progress monitoring tools that are appropriate for use with DLLs to improve data-based decision-making and inform instructional practices.…”

“…Some findings suggest children who are DLLs may be under- or over-represented in special education programs due to a number of possible reasons including: (a) lack of psychometrically appropriate assessments for use with DLLs (Peña & Halle, 2011; Umansky et al, 2017); (b) lack of multilingual measures that directly relate to instructional planning (Wackerle-Hollman & Durán, 2020); and (c) challenges in distinguishing the intersection of language acquisition from cultural, economic, or environmental factors (Morgan et al, 2018; Peña & Halle, 2011). Furthermore, a lack of qualified staff to conduct nondiscriminatory assessments or who represent diverse cultures and languages is problematic (Farnsworth, 2018; Morgan et al, 2018).…”