Literacy Development Among Language Minority Background and Dyslexic Children in Finnish Orthography Context

Abstract

This study examines the development of reading and writing from first to second grade in transparent orthography (Finnish) among three groups: language minority children (n = 49), Finnish children at risk of reading difficulties (n = 347), and Finnish speaking children (n = 1747). Findings indicated that reading and writing skills in the language minority group and the Finnish classmates’ group developed at the same level by the end of second grade, but the development of children at risk of reading difficulties was slower across time. This finding indicates that the transparency of written language has an effect on success in literacy development with language minority children.