Literacy Instructional Time and Content Coverage: Variation by Multilingual Learner Composition in Elementary Classrooms

• In Event: Heterogeneity in Multilingual Children: Language Skills and Experiences, Home Literacy Environment, and Learning Contexts

Abstract

Objectives
This study examines how classroom linguistic diversity relates to elementary teachers’ reading instructional practices. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify distinct patterns of reading instructional time allocation and to test whether classroom multilingual learner (ML) composition predicted membership in specific instructional profiles. The study addressed two research questions: (a) What distinct profiles of reading instructional time allocation characterize elementary teachers? (b) How does classroom ML composition predict instructional profile membership across grade levels?
Theoretical Framework
Research has long documented variation in how teachers allocate time across reading components, with some emphasizing code-focused skills and others prioritizing meaning-based practices (Connor et al., 2004). This variation may be especially pronounced in classrooms serving MLs (Goldenberg, 2020). Drawing on Opportunity to Learn frameworks (Carroll, 1963), instructional time is conceptualized as a key indicator of what students have access to and how that access may vary across classroom contexts. Prior studies show that classrooms with higher concentrations of MLs may receive less rigorous or narrowed instruction (Estrada et al., 2020; Umansky, 2016), raising concerns about equity.
Methods
A series of LPAs was conducted using teacher-reported literacy instructional activity data from Grades 1-5. In each grade, teachers reported the frequency with which specific literacy activities were taught, rating them on a six-point scale from “not taught” to “more than 80 days.” Items varied by grade, reflecting a developmental shift from foundational skills to higher-order literacy practices. Profiles were estimated separately by grade to capture changing instructional emphases. After identifying optimal profile solutions using fit indices, multinomial logistic regression was used to test whether classroom ML percentage predicted profile membership, adjusting for teacher characteristics.
Data Sources
This study drew on restricted-use data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2011 (ECLS-K:2011). Literacy instructional activity measures were drawn from spring teacher questionnaires in Grades 1-5, with item sets varying by grade level to reflect age-appropriate instruction. Classroom ML composition was calculated as the proportion of students designated as English learners in each classroom.
Results
Across grades, LPA revealed three to four distinct instructional profiles per grade level, reflecting variation in both intensity and emphasis of reading activities. In early grades, profiles ranged from instruction broadly distributed across components to profiles heavily weighted toward foundational skills. In upper elementary grades, profiles varied in their emphasis on comprehension and writing. Preliminary multinomial regression results suggest that classrooms with higher proportions of MLs were more likely to fall into lower-intensity or code-focused profiles, though these patterns varied by grade. These findings indicate that classroom linguistic composition may be linked to how teachers allocate instructional time.
Scholarly Significance of the Study
This study advances understanding of instructional opportunity in linguistically diverse classrooms through three contributions: (a) identifying distinct instructional profiles that vary with classroom ML composition, (b) documenting variation in reading instructional emphasis across grade levels, and (c) providing empirical grounding for understanding the kinds of reading instruction ML students are likely to experience.

Authors

• Jackie E. Relyea, North Carolina State University

• Michael J. Kieffer, New York University