L1 (Spanish) reading comprehension is positively correlated with English reading comprehension, with the relationship weaker for students with lower English proficiency¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Systematic reviews found L1 (Spanish) reading comprehension positively correlated with English reading comprehension, and this relationship was weaker for students with lower levels of English language proficiency. → Kittle 2024

Evidence¶

Kittle 2024¶

Kittle, J. M., Amendum, S. J., & Budde, C. M. (2024). What Does Research Say About the Science of Reading for K-5 Multilingual Learners? A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09942-6

q2 · i? · quant-synthesis · r2

Narrative synthesis of two systematic reviews (Dressler & Kamil, 2006; Riches & Genesee, 2006). The review reports the positive L1–L2 comprehension correlation and the English-proficiency moderator; Riches and Genesee found Spanish reading comprehension was the best predictor of English comprehension one year later. No effect size is printed.

"Dressler and Kamil (2006) found that L1 (Spanish) reading comprehension was positively correlated with English reading comprehension. They noted that this relationship was weaker for students with lower levels of English language proficiency"

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• English-Learner Status — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it
• Reading and Language — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• L1 decoding is positively related to English reading comprehension for Spanish- and Chinese-speaking MLs, with the correlation decreasing as children get older — related
• Cross-linguistic transfer is skill-specific: phonological awareness and print concepts are more likely to transfer across languages, while vocabulary and comprehension are more language-dependent — related
• L2 oral language shows a moderate to strong positive relationship with L2 reading comprehension for multilingual learners, and the correlation increases with age — related
• Students used two languages flexibly for different mathematical sub-tasks but lacked academic Spanish vocabulary — related