Cognitive Correlates of Basic Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners: Implications for Dyslexia As
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Cognitive Correlates of Basic Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking English Language Learners: Implications for Dyslexia Assessment Martha Youman 1,2 & Nancy Mather 1
# California Association of School Psychologists 2019
Abstract While significant research has been done on the assessment of reading and dyslexia with native English speakers, little has been done with English language learners (ELLs). This lack of research creates challenges for practitioners who are working with ELLs in schools. These professionals must make decisions about placements, interventions, and accommodations without having a clear indication of whether ELLs struggle with reading because of lack of English language exposure or a neurological condition, such as dyslexia. The present study explored several known correlates of reading in native English speakers, including Phonological Awareness, Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), and Processing Speed as predictors of basic reading skills in Spanish-speaking ELLs. The findings suggested that most tasks of Phonological Awareness and RAN were highly correlated to basic reading skills in Spanish-speaking ELLs and that these measures should be part of a dyslexia assessment with this population. When Phonological Awareness and RAN tasks as well as other demographic factors were controlled for, performance on Processing Speed tasks was inconsistently correlated to basic reading skills and was not a significant predictor of reading. Keywords Cognitive correlates of reading . Rapid automatized naming . Phonological awareness . English language learners (ELLs) . Dyslexia
Reading is a complex activity that involves the effective and simultaneous activation of various cognitive skills related to language, memory, and attention. To be able to read in English, one must be able to automatically integrate the written symbols that represent sounds into whole words that correspond to the spoken language. In most children, this ability develops sequentially after literacy instruction, reaching automaticity around the age of 7 (Brunswick 2010). For some children, however, reading remains a challenging task, even after years of instruction. These children often lack the basic reading skills that are necessary for accurate and fluent reading. If their difficulties cannot be explained by other factors (e.g., language, inappropriate instruction), these students are often diagnosed as having dyslexia. Although other terms for dyslexia include specific learning disability (SLD; Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act, IDEA, 2004) and Specific
* Martha Youman [email protected] 1
Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
2
San Rafael, CA, USA
Learning Disorder with Impairment in Reading (DSM-V; American Psychiatric Association 2013), the term dyslexia is used throughout this paper. In addition, dyslexia is becoming a common term used in schools with many school districts around the USA requiring screening for dyslexia in the early grades (Youman and Math
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