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Spanish vocabulary and literacy mutual influences: How poverty moderates its relationship among preschoolers in Michigan

Sat, March 23, 9:45 to 11:15am, Hilton Baltimore, Floor: Level 2, Key 2

Integrative Statement

Dual language learners (DLLs) face many challenges in a predominately monolingual English-speaking US educational system, including structural inequalities such as poverty, attending low resource schools and having limited English proficiency. The majority of DLLs in the United States are Spanish-speakers who acquire and develop their two languages in different contexts--Spanish at home and English at school. An aspect in learning both languages is how these two languages relate to each other, with enriching Spanish vocabulary improving children’s English proficiency and vice versa. This study explores how the mutual influences between Spanish vocabulary and words and letters identification vary depending on family poverty levels (low poverty and extreme poverty).

The study sampled 167 Hispanic children who participated in a longitudinal study evaluating the effects of a state-funded preschool program in the Midwest. Children were split into two groups: extreme poverty (n=94) and low poverty (n=73). The first three waves of data were used with Wave1 equating the beginning of Pre-K, Wave2 equating end of Pre-K, and Wave3 the beginning of kindergarten. A multiple-group cross-lag model explored the relationship between Spanish vocabulary —measured using Woodcock-Muñoz picture vocabulary (“Vocabulario sobre dibujos”)— and Woodcock-Johnson Letter-Word Identification measured in English. Wave1 covariates in the analysis included gender, predominant language at home and an executive function measure (Heads-Toes-Knees-Shoulders).

The cross-lag model depicted in Figure 1 shows a clear pattern in the mutual influences between Spanish vocabulary and letter-word identification depending on family poverty levels. Lagged effects were observed in both groups. For example, as Spanish vocabulary increased at Wave1, the levels of Spanish vocabulary tend to increase at Wave2 by .75 standard deviation points (low poverty group) and 0.77 (extreme poverty). However, larger differences were found in the cross effects between letter-word identification and Spanish vocabulary. Moderate significant effects were found during the preschool year (beginning of Pre-K and end of Pre-K) only for children living in extreme poverty. As the Spanish vocabulary scores increased during the beginning of preschool, early literacy score increased by a factor of .38 points. Similarly, as the level of early literacy skills increased at the beginning of preschool, the levels of Spanish vocabulary increased at the end of preschool by .29 points.

These findings mainly suggest that enriching Spanish vocabulary could improve early literacy skills in English during preschool especially for children living in extreme poverty. Moreover, it seems that the improvement of early literacy skills in English during Pre-K could also lead to the enrichment of Spanish vocabulary skills. These influences seemed to be substantially weaker between the end of preschool and the beginning of kindergarten suggesting that Spanish-English dual language learners who live in extreme poverty benefit most, and suggests it may be important to continue to develop both Spanish and English literacy throughout the whole year in partnership with families. We are planning to expand these results to include more children and add additional time points as well as reviewing the analysis in light of further reviews of theoretical explanations.

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