Provide instruction on higher order cognitive skills in L1 and/or L2 to support writing development for dual language learners¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 2 studies (2 associational), q2–q3 · 1 of 2 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

As a preliminary practical implication, the article recommends instruction on higher order cognitive skills — inference, perspective taking, and comprehension monitoring — in either language. Because the bifactor structure suggests a common skill across languages, "instruction in L1 or L2 would help develop higher order cognitions for dual language learners", and because these skills relate to writing quality, such instruction "would improve students' writing skills". The authors stress this is preliminary given the correlational design and note instructional studies targeting higher order cognition for dual language learners are scarce.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Explicit instructional studies targeting higher order cognitions in L1 or L2 for dual language learners; the article notes these are scarce

Constraints¶

• Given the correlational nature of the study, practical implications from the present results are limited; experimental studies are needed

Target Learners¶

• Spanish-English dual language learners in primary grades

Target Learning Goals¶

• written composition quality; higher order cognitive skills (inference, perspective taking, comprehension monitoring)

Affordances¶

• Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis Hocs Extension

Claims¶

• Biliterate dual language learners show higher higher order cognitive skills regardless of instructional program [+W]
• Higher order cognitive skills (inference, perspective taking, comprehension monitoring) fit a bifactor structure with a general cross-language factor and language-specific factors in English and Spanish [+W]
• The higher order cognition general factor is fairly strongly related to writing quality (r = .59), and the relation remains after covariates and is similar across English immersion and dual immersion programs [+W]
• Higher order cognitive skills (inference, perspective taking, monitoring) are differentially related to writing quality, writing productivity, and correctness in writing in Grade 2 [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Kim Young-Suk Grace, Wolters Alissa, Mercado Janet, & Quinn Jamie. (2022). Crosslinguistic Transfer of Higher Order Cognitive Skills and Their Roles in Writing for English-Spanish Dual Language Learners. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000516