Examining the Directionality of Math Achievement, Executive Functions, and Self-Regulation for Dual Language Learners and Monolingual Preschoolers

• In Event: Poster Session 08
  In Poster Session: PS 08 Topic - School Readiness/Childcare

Abstract

The population of Dual Language Learner (DLL) preschoolers in the United States is rapidly increasing (Castro, 2013). Although Spanish-English speaking preschoolers comprise more than a third of the preschool population (ACF, 2013), research has only recently started to investigate the potential differences in learning patterns between DLL and monolingual children (Bohlmann, 2015). Research has identified that DLL children may possess strengths in executive function (EF) and self-regulation skills when compared to their monolingual peers (White, 2017; Halle, 2014). Additionally, there is a positive association between EF and math that begins early and persists across development (Clements, 2016). DLL children, who are proficient in both languages, demonstrate higher self-regulation and math skills than their monolingual peers (Choi, 2018). This study expands on the current literature by investigating potential differences in the bidirectional relation between 1) math and EF skills and 2) math and self-regulation skills for DLL children compared to their monolingual English speaking peers.

A total of 375 preschoolers (45.10% female) from 88 classrooms, ranging from 37 to 67 months (M=51.93, SD=9.31) participated. In the fall, parents reported if the child spoke a language other than English(39.70%). Math was assessed using the REMA-brief (Weiland, 2012) and Bracken (2007). EF was assessed using the Backwards Digit Span and Pencil Tap tasks. Children’s self-regulation skills were teacher-reported using the DECA (LeBuffe & Naglieri,1999).

Mplus (Muthén & Muthén, 2018) was used to examine the directional associations between 1) EF and math and 2) self-regulation and math. Specifically, cross-lagged models were conducted and model constraints were used to examine the potential model differences for DLL and monolingual children (see Table 1 for model fit statistics; see Table 2 for the path loadings). The EF and math cross-lagged model demonstrated two path differences, 1) fall EF and spring EF (bdiff=.44, p<.05), suggesting no association for DLLs but a significant association for monolinguals and 2) fall math and spring EF (bdiff=-0.46, p<.05), suggesting a significant association for DLLs but no association for monolinguals. In the math and self-regulation model, there were no detectable differences in paths between DLL and monolingual preschoolers.

Overall, there was a significant association between fall and spring math for both DLL and monolingual children, suggesting that early math skills are predictive of later math skills. The significant association between fall math and spring EF for DLL children only suggests that early math skills may be critical to engage young DLL children in learning because they promote later EF. This finding may also have been due to the EF measures used, DLL children did significantly worse than monolingual children on both EF measures in the fall. Future research should investigate which EF measures are most appropriate for accurately capturing EF skills of DLL children, who may have emerging language skills across both languages in the fall leading to lower scores. The lack of association between self-regulation and math skills for both DLL and monolingual children suggests that it may be important to provide differential opportunities to encourage growth in the two separate domains.

Authors

• Elizabeth Marie Frechette, University of Oklahoma
  Presenting Author

• Shinyoung Jeon, University of Oklahoma
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sherri L Castle, University of Oklahoma
  Non-Presenting Author