Why Early Literacy Research in Spanish-dominant countries Matters

• In Event: Emancipatory Pro-Black and Pro-Latinx Reading Research and Teaching

Abstract

Purpose and Theoretical Framework
Most early literacy research has been conducted in English (Verhoeven & Perfetti, 2017) and in Global North countries, creating an Anglocentric research agenda. Thus, the field runs the risk of overgeneralizing findings to other languages and settings (Share, 2021). Authors (2025) argue that the English-centric view in current reading reform in the U.S. can exacerbate the longstanding inequities experienced by children from minoritized backgrounds. Drawing on an integrative theoretical framework that brings together cognitive and sociocultural perspectives, this review aims to map research that examines both the nature of literacy learning in Spanish and the varied sociocultural contexts where children acquire literacy.
Methods, Data Sources, and Analysis
We use a scoping review approach to systematically map research on early literacy development and learning in the preschool years (3-5 years old) conducted in Spanish-dominant countries in Latin America and Spain from 2010 to 2021. Scoping reviews are particularly valuable for topics that are characterized by methodological and conceptual heterogeneity (Pham et al., 2014). Fifty-eight empirical studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study. These were analyzed using both deductive and inductive coding and thematic analysis.
Findings
The review confirms that although certain universal literacy processes identified in Spanish are similar to those identified in English, the Spanish “transparent” orthography (Defior & Serrano, 2017) and language-specific features shape literacy in Spanish in unique ways. For example, the prevalence of the syllable in Spanish is manifested in children’s early syllabic awareness in phonological awareness tasks and in writing. Additionally, findings indicate that phonological awareness, RAN, morphological development, and alphabet knowledge are highly correlated to early literacy in Spanish. However, the relative importance of each precursor seems to vary as a result of the phonological and orthographic structures of Spanish.
Studies focused on the relationship between the home context and children’s early literacy learning reveal differences among households not only in terms of SES, but also location, or family configuration. Income inequalities and poverty rates in Latin American countries have motivated researchers to examine variability in early literacy learning within the low SES population. However, research on this topic has been dominated by Global North paradigms, which might obviate sociocultural literacy practices specific to these communities.
In studies examining methods for teaching foundational literacy skills, teachers commonly report using bottom-up approaches to teach decoding skills. Some studies describe the integration of oral language and social interaction into literacy teaching and others highlight the contextualized teaching of foundational skills through shared reading, storytelling, and the children’s names. Finally, studies evaluating the impact of early literacy interventions report that multicomponent interventions and attention to the Spanish language structure are beneficial for young children’s literacy development.
Significance
A broader knowledge base about early literacy in languages other than English can make the teaching of literacy in early childhood classrooms more equitable and culturally sustaining. It can allow educators to find ways to advocate for justice-centered pedagogies and policies, and for children’s right to become biliterate.

Authors

• Lucinda A. Soltero-Gonzalez, University of Colorado - Denver

• Cristina Gillanders, University of Colorado - Denver