Effects of Bilingual Letter Sound Knowledge and Word Automaticity in Spanish and in English on Reading Comprehension for First Grade Bilingual Students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22007198 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Doris L Baker (0000-0001-8517-9799, The University of Texas at Austin, corresponding author), José R Palma (0000-0002-5951-401X, Texas A&M University), Keith Smolkowski (0000-0003-2565-3297, Oregon Research Institute) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | SAGE Open (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/21582440261427727 |
| OpenAlex | W7139123699 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 31 |
We examine the strength of the relation between letter sound knowledge, word reading, and reading comprehension in Spanish and in English for 1,010 bilingual first grade students learning to read in both languages in the United States. Students were assessed in both languages on multiple beginning reading measures and on reading comprehension in Spanish and in English at the end of the year. Findings from structural equation modeling indicated that the best model fit for the bilingual data was when all pretest measures in each language loaded into the same latent language factor, and into a bilingual factor consisting of letter naming in Spanish, and pseudoword reading in Spanish and in English. This finding suggests that a bilingual latent factor supports the development of metalinguistic awareness, and it contributes to the prediction of reading comprehension in both languages. Thus, students receiving bilingual reading instruction, might not need to be taught letter sound correspondence for letter sounds that are similar in both languages twice, once in Spanish and once in English. Instead, learning this skill in their native language, provides teachers with more time to discuss letter-sounds that are different in both languages. Implications for teaching and research are discussed
Automaticity · Comprehension · First language · Metalinguistic awareness · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Pseudoword · Reading comprehension · Transfer of training · Word recognition · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Reading and Literacy Development · Second Language Acquisition and Learning
The simple view of reading
Learning to Read Words
Oral Language and Reading in Bilingual Children
Orthographic Mapping in the Acquisition of Sight Word Reading, Spelling Memory, and Vocabulary Learning
Why is letter-name knowledge such a good predictor of learning to read?
The intriguing role of spanish language vocabulary knowledge in predicting English reading comprehension.
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Bilingualism, Biliteracy, and Learning to Read
Bilingual Minds
Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling
Reporting Structural Equation Modeling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis Results
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Simple View of Reading in Chinese
Diagnostic accuracy of Spanish and English screeners with Spanish and English criterion measures for bilingual students in Grades 1 and 2
Toward Integrative Reading Science
Supporting vocabulary development within a multitiered system of support
Speaking and Reading in Two Languages
Transfer in Bilingual Development
| Highly cited | No |
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