Spanish–English bilinguals performed better on kindergarten mathematics assessments when tested in Spanish¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · checked against its sources 2026-10-18 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Spanish–English bilingual kindergarteners performed better on mathematics assessments when the assessment was administered in Spanish rather than English. → Rolla 2024

Evidence¶

Rolla 2024¶

Rolla, A., & Mottesi, G. (2024). Bilingual Beginnings: Planning Kindergarten Entry Assessments for Spanish–English Speakers. WestEd, Region 15 Comprehensive Center. https://csaa.wested.org/resource/kindergarten-entry-assessments-an-examination-of-best-practices-national-trends-and-recommendations/

q2 · i? · review · r2

The brief reports, citing Robinson (2010), that "Spanish–English bilinguals performed better on mathematics assessments in kindergarten when they were tested in Spanish." The brief prints no effect size or test statistic for this finding.

"Another study found that Spanish–English bilinguals performed better on mathematics assessments in kindergarten when they were tested in Spanish (Robinson, 2010)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Reading and Language — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Teaching students in a language they understand benefits both language learning and broader learning — the general claim this finding bears on, with the studies behind it
• Spanish use at home does not limit English learning: young Spanish–English bilinguals with more Spanish at school entry show higher English skills by year's end — related
• English and Spanish MAP Growth Reading scales were statistically linked via a bilingual group design despite measuring similar but not identical constructs — related
• As of 2024, only 10 U.S. states explicitly include Spanish–English bilinguals in their kindergarten entry assessments, while 41 states implicitly include or do not include them — related
• Situated perspective explains Latino students' mathematical meaning-making in bilingual classrooms better than a discontinuity model (review reports Moschkovich, 1996) — related
• English Learner classification in kindergarten negatively impacts teachers' perceptions of students' academic abilities, with a reduced negative effect in bilingual classroom settings — related
• Assuming conversational fluency indicates English proficiency has led to bilingual children being misdiagnosed as learning disabled or retarded and to premature exit from support programs — related