First-Grade Multilingual Children's Cognitive and Behavioral Profiles and English Reading: A Person-Centered Latent Profile Analysis

• In Event: Equitably Supporting the Academic Achievement of Multilingual Learners in the United States

Abstract

Purpose
In this study, we aimed to (a) explore cognitive and behavioral profiles among U.S. first-grade multilingual children using a person-centered approach; (b) examine the roles of English oral proficiency and race/ethnicity in the prediction of students’ likelihood of cognitive and behavioral profile membership; and (c) investigate the extent to which the identified profile classification was associated with English reading achievement.

Theoretical Framework
The importance of multilingual children’s cognitive (i.e., executive function, including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) and behavioral (i.e., approaches to learning and attentional focus) skills in their reading ability in English has been well-established (e.g., Bialystok, 2017). However, a large body of research on the identification of reading difficulties among multilingual children has exclusively focused on early linguistic and literacy skills as risk factors, and cognitive and behavioral factors are rarely taken into account. Moreover, although multilingual students are a heterogeneous population, few investigations have explored the identification of subgroups of multilingual children based on their cognitive and behavioral skills using person-centered approaches. More insight into profiles explained by the variability of cognitive and behavioral domains can be of great importance for the early identification of multilingual children who need intervention services specifically tailored to meet their unique needs.

Methods
Latent profile analyses were conducted using the following measures: working memory (Numbers Reversed), cognitive flexibility (Dimensional Change Card Sort) and teacher-rated inhibitory control, approaches to learning, and attentional focus (Children’s Behavior Questionnaire). Children’s overall English reading ability (foundation reading skills, vocabulary knowledge, and reading comprehension; reliability = .93) was assessed in spring.

Data Sources
Drawing from a nationally representative sample from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten 2010-2011, the analytic sample was 3,819 multilingual first-graders identified based on a home language survey that parents/guardians completed.

Results
Results from latent profile analysis revealed that students were classified into three distinct groups (see Figure 1): Below Average (Class 1, n = 387, 10%), Above Average (Class 2; n = 3,211, 84%), and Very Low on Executive Function (Class 3, n = 221, 6%). Multinomial logistic regression results showed that students’ profile membership was significantly associated with their English oral proficiency and race/ethnicity. Furthermore, the profiles were associated with significantly different English reading levels (ps < .001). Specifically, Class 2 was associated with the highest reading score (M = 92.51), followed by Class 1 (M = 84.60) and Class 3 (M = 78.27). This finding suggests that multilingual students’ difficulties in English reading may be attributed to lower executive function (e.g., cognitive flexibility and working memory).

Significance
The current investigation has provided important evidence about multilingual students’ cognitive and behavior skills profiles and their associations with predictors and outcomes. The person-centered approach to the identification of heterogeneity among multilingual students can be used to guide intervention efforts for each subgroup. Findings further suggest that a one-size-fits-all method ought not to be applied to reading intervention for multilingual children and both cognitive and behavior skills should be considered to provide profile-specific support and strategies.

Authors

• Jackie Eunjung Relyea, North Carolina State University

• Eunsoo Cho, University of California - Riverside

• Elizabeth Zagata, The University of Connecticut