scholarly journals Early Precursors of Literacy Development in Simultaneous Bilinguals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Author(s):  
Insiya Bhalloo ◽  
Monika Molnar

Several literacy precursors have been identified in monolingual English-speaking children; however, it is unclear whether the same precursors are also associated with literacy development in bilingual children. Purpose: We examine whether in simultaneous bilingual children: (i) code-related, oral-language, and domain-general cognitive literacy precursors have been utilized, similar to monolingual children; (ii) other types of precursors have been identified; (iii) code-related, oral-language, domain-general cognitive, or other types of literacy precursors are associated with word/non-word and/or text-level reading skills; in (a) one or (b) both spoken languages; (iv) the type of literacy outcome measure, and (v) language background measure influence performance on emergent literacy skills. Method: We examined reported statistical associations, between a given literacy precursor and outcome measure, and conducted a meta-analysis examining specific code-related and oral-language precursors in relation to word/non-word reading and/or text reading comprehension. Results: Apart from semantic awareness, all code-related, oral-language, domain-general cognitive and eight additional identified precursors were significantly associated with reading in simultaneous bilinguals. However, these precursors were predominantly assessed only in English, or English in addition to a heritage language. Phonological awareness and vocabulary emerged as commonly-assessed precursors consistently associated with reading. Conclusions: Particularly, these code-related and oral-language skills may be used as precursor screening tools in simultaneous bilinguals, across heritage and societal languages. Future research should develop language-specific precursor screening tools and investigate the reliability of non-linguistic precursors, to address the evident English assessment bias and support biliteracy development across spoken languages.

Author(s):  
Ioannis Grigorakis

Children's use of touch-screen tablets is increasing as these mobile devices become increasingly available. The interactive, tactile touch-screen interface and easily downloadable applications make tablets especially popular with pre-schoolers. This chapter's literature review provides an overview of recent research into tablets and emergent literacy development at home and in the pre-school setting. A multi-faceted synthesis of research on children's use of tablets and its impact in emergent literacy skills was conducted. The evidence indicated that mobile learning via touch-screen tablets has the potential to broadly enhance emergent writing and may facilitate the development of letter name/sound knowledge, print awareness, letter writing and name writing skills, and phonological awareness. The relation between the use of tablets and emergent literacy development seems to be complex as it is mediated by factors such as the type of multisensory experiences through literacy applications and the type of scaffolding used by adults. Recommendations and directions for future research are discussed.


Author(s):  
Insiya Bhalloo ◽  
Kai Leung ◽  
Monika Molnar

An important component of early reading intervention is effective literacy screening tools. Literacy precursor screening tools have been primarily developed for early identification and remediation of potential reading difficulties in monolingual Englishspeaking children, despite the significant proportion of bilingual children worldwide. This systematic literature review examines whether the precursor literacy skills commonly used in monolingual English-speaking children have been assessed and found to predict later reading skills in simultaneous bilingual children. Our findings demonstrate that the nine major literacy precursors identified in monolingual children also significantly correlate with reading performance in simultaneous bilingual children. These nine literacy precursors are phonological awareness, letter knowledge, serial recall, oral language comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, memory, non-verbal intelligence and word decoding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 4193-4207
Author(s):  
Amy S. Pratt ◽  
John A. Grinstead ◽  
Rebecca J. McCauley

Purpose This exploratory study describes the emergent literacy skills of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) who speak Spanish, a language with a simple phonological structure and transparent orthography. We examine differences between children with DLD and their typically developing (TD) peers on a battery of emergent literacy measures. Method Participants included 15 monolingual Spanish-speaking children with DLD (who did not present with cognitive difficulties) and 15 TD controls matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status, ranging in age from 3;10 to 6;6 (years;months; M age = 4;11). All children completed a battery of comprehension-related emergent literacy tasks (narrative retell, print concept knowledge) and code-related emergent literacy tasks (beginning sound, rhyming awareness, alphabet knowledge, and name-writing ability). Results On average, children with DLD performed significantly worse than TD controls on a battery of comprehension- and code-related emergent literacy measures. On all code-related skills except rhyming, children with DLD were more likely than their TD peers to score “at risk.” Conclusions The results suggest some universality in the effect of DLD on reading development. Difficulties with emergent literacy that are widely documented in English-speaking children with DLD were similarly observed in Spanish-speaking children with DLD. Future research should explore long-term reading outcomes in Spanish for children with DLD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Solari ◽  
Yaacov Petscher ◽  
Colby Hall

A recent meta-analysis published in Exceptional Children (Stevens et al., 2021) looked at the effects of Orton-Gillingham (OG) reading interventions on reading outcomes for students who have word reading difficulties. The results of the study have led to questions and lively conversation among practitioners and reading researchers. One of the things that is important about science is that it is constantly evolving: this is true in education science as much as it is in the health sciences. Because this journal is committed to translating empirical findings from reading research in order to make education science accessible to practitioners, the intent of this commentary is to provide a clear description of the findings reported in this recent meta-analysis, addressing the degree to which they align with those reported in similar reviews of OG interventions. We discuss the degree to which the findings represent an evolution of reading science and their implications for instructional practice, policy, and future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-347
Author(s):  
Alexander Collins ◽  
Kirsten Barnicot ◽  
Piyal Sen

The objectives of this study were to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting prevalence of personality disorders (PDs) in emergency departments (EDs) and evaluate the effect of comorbid PDs on clinical outcomes. A systematic search of five databases along with manual searching and expert consultation was performed. A quality appraisal was conducted. A total of 29 articles were included. Prevalence of PDs in ED attendees varied depending on presenting complaint, Q(4) = 577.5, p < .01, with meta-analytic prevalence rates of suicide and self-harm at 35% and 22%, respectively. The assessment method had a significant effect on prevalence rates, Q(3) = 17.36, p < .01. Comorbid PD was a risk factor for repeating presenting complaint, subsequent ED return, and hospitalization. Better identification of PDs using screening tools in EDs could improve patient management and clinical outcomes. Future research should focus on PD prevalence in unselected ED populations using validated diagnostic interviews.


2007 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Willenberg

International research has demonstrated that a considerable amount of children’s literacy development occurs prior to formal schooling and that emergent literacy skills at school entry are strong predictors of later literacy and general academic achievement. These findings have prompted vigorous early intervention programmes aimed at promoting emergent literacy development to optimise the development of conventional literacy. While there is considerable research conducted in developed countries, there is limited research on the emergent literacy skills of children in South African contexts. In the light of increasing evidence of poor literacy performance of South African children in the foundation phase of schooling it is imperative that appropriate and timely intervention be undertaken. However it is important that intervention be informed by baseline assessments of the children’s literacy competencies in the full spectrum of socio-cultural contexts in this diverse country. This study documents the emergent literacy competencies of 101 grade R (the year prior to grade 1, equivalent to kindergarten in the United States) learners attending schools in historically disadvantaged coloured communities on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape. An Emergent Literacy and Language Assessment protocol was developed for use with this population. The children’s performance on the assessment tool indicated that in general they possessed a reasonable repertoire of emergent literacy skills. Although they displayed adequate skills to support acquisition of print decoding skills necessary for fluent reading, weaknesses in the decontextualised language skills that have been found to support later reading comprehension, were evident.


2020 ◽  
pp. 146879842090182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarai Coba-Rodriguez ◽  
Robin L Jarrett

Research in the United States (U.S.) documents that young Latino children whose families are characterized by demographic risk factors disproportionately lack the early literacy skills needed to successfully transition to kindergarten. Quantitative studies using comparative samples have found lower quality home learning environments and lower scores on a child outcome assessments among Latino children compared to their Black and White peers. A small body of qualitative, non-comparative studies that focus on Latino families in their own right provides descriptive accounts of the positive ways that Latina mothers and other family members promote child literacy development, despite being characterized by demographic risk factors. However, the social address variables utilized in quantitative studies limit our understanding of the family processes affecting child literacy development, and most qualitative studies focus on older, school-aged children with very few studies focusing on the early transitional period before kindergarten, especially for Latinos. Addressing current gaps in the literature on preschool-aged children, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews and photo-elicitation interviews with 17 low-income Latina mothers of Head Start preschoolers in a northern Chicago suburb in the U.S. Privileging mothers’ voices and experiences, we explored their in-home emergent literacy practices and the role of other family members in promoting children’s literacy development. Informed by a family resilience framework, we accessed intimate family worlds that reveal highly engaged and resilient parents. Specifically, we identified numerous child literacy skills that families supported through an array of family instructional practices and tools. We further identified the role of various available family members, particularly fathers and siblings. These findings add to substantive discussions of emergent literacy, resilience and familismo. Insights from the qualitative interviews lead to recommendations for how early childhood educators can capitalize on families’ funds of knowledge, and view them as valued collaborators.


SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402110591
Author(s):  
Dennis Murphy Odo

Despite considerable efforts made to understand the impact that instructional interventions have upon L2 reading development, we still lack a clear picture of the influence that PA and phonics instruction has upon reading in English as an L2. A search of the research literature published from 1990 to 2019 yielded 45 articles with 46 studies containing 3,841 participants in total. Effect sizes were recorded for the effect of various PA and/or phonics instructional interventions on word and pseudo word reading. Results demonstrated that L2 PA and phonics instruction has a moderate effect on L2 word reading ( g = 0.53) and a large effect on pseudo word reading ( g = 1.51). Moderator analyses revealed effects of a number of moderators including testing method, type of PA/phonics intervention, and context where the intervention occurred. Based upon these conclusions, policymakers and educators can provide beginning learners of English as an L2 with PA and phonics instruction that will enable them to read, understand and enjoy English better. Future research should also strive to adhere to more stringent standards of excellence in educational research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Samuel Imange ◽  
John Simwinga

Effective teaching of initial literacy in Grade 1 demands more of the teacher’s attention to pupils’ emergent literacy skills and consideration of how they learn. The emergent literacy skills children acquire lay a firm foundation for their learning to read and write in the conventional sense. Some of the skills that children develop under emergent literacy include phonological awareness and phonological sensitivity, which give children the ability to hear, recognize, manipulate and distinguish the sounds of the language they have acquired. These are key language skills which teachers will need to utilize in their teaching of reading and writing skills to Grade 1 learners in the classroom. A study was carried out whose purpose was to investigate whether primary school teachers in Mansa District utilized emergent literacy skills in their teaching of conventional reading and writing skills to the learners in Grade 1 considering the fact that emergent literacy lays a firm and solid foundation for continuous development of the literacy skills. The study was a descriptive survey and qualitative in nature since it required the researcher to describe the state of affairs as found and observed in their natural setting in the research sites. The qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used. The sample for this study comprised 62 Grade 1 teachers and 3,594 Grade 1 primary school pupils. Only those schools teaching initial literacy in the local familiar language using the Breakthrough to Literacy (BTL) methodology were targeted for this research. The findings indicated that: (1) Teachers lacked knowledge about emergent literacy and did not know how useful it was for continuous literacy development among the children. (2) Most of the teachers ignored pupils’ prior literacy knowledge and considered their learners as complete illiterates who knew nothing about literacy skills. (3) Teachers never designed extra teaching and learning materials for teaching literacy. Rather, they relied on the New Breakthrough to Literacy (NBTL) kit materials. (4) The class sizes were large and meaningful scaffolding was lacking in most of the classes. This study concluded that the Ministry of Education in Zambia should consider emergent literacy as the foundation for conventional literacy development in Grade 1. One recommendation was that teachers should be equipped with knowledge of emergent literacy through deliberate training. They need to understand and appreciate emergent literacy as an essential body of knowledge to be utilized for successful conventional literacy development among Grade 1 learners.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document