Spanish Reading Comprehension Research Articles

Teaching Spanish with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Background: My personal journey to developing fluency in Spanish was through gaming, and so I felt strongly that this popular pastime would help my students, too. Ocarina of Time was a natural choice, as it is not only my favorite game, it is also dialogue-heavy and mimics real life speech, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play it with my students! Aim: My main objective was to improve students’ Spanish reading comprehension. Other objectives included: developing an understanding of the difference between equivalent and literal translation, developing a more comprehensive understanding of Spanish sentence structure, learning the 100 most used Spanish verbs, and being able to understand perfect verbs and object pronouns when encountered in text. Methods: Engaging learners through play, student collaboration, ungraded practice, semantic and syntactic reading comprehension, spiraling curriculum, and gamification of rote memorization. Results: Students’ Spanish reading comprehension improved rapidly, and so did their confidence in performing this skill. Students also learned 90%+ of the 100 top used Spanish verbs, as well as a large variety of other vocabulary. Conclusion: Video games are a viable resource for teaching a foreign language.

Bilingual children’s vocabulary skills at 5 years predict reading comprehension development within, not across, languages

ABSTRACT Extensive evidence indicates that early vocabulary skills predict later reading development among monolingually developing children. Some evidence suggests that a relationship between vocabulary and later reading also holds across languages among children whose home language differs from the school language. However, these findings have been mixed and it remains unclear if, and under what circumstances, vocabulary in one language supports reading comprehension development in another. The present study followed 84 Spanish-English bilingual children, assessing their vocabulary skills at 5 years and their reading comprehension at 6, 7, 8, and 9 years. Longitudinal multilevel models revealed significant within-language relations between early vocabulary knowledge and subsequent reading comprehension in both English and Spanish and no across-language relations. There were significant concurrent across-language relations between English and Spanish reading comprehension skills. These findings suggest that the contribution of vocabulary knowledge to reading comprehension is language specific but that there are also language general components to reading comprehension, which result in significant concurrent relations between reading comprehension skill across languages.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Inhibition and Flexibility to Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency, and Decoding in Spanish

This research aims to evaluate the predicting role of executive functions, specially inhibition and flexibility, in reading comprehension. Participants were evaluated with inhibition and flexibility measures in first- grade, and later in third- grade their reading comprehension, oral and silent reading fluency, as well as their decoding skills were measured. Results show that first grade inhibition and flexibility are direct predictors of third- grade reading comprehension. When the indirect effect of inhibition and flexibility on reading comprehension was tested through measures of reading fluency and decoding, it was found that neither ORF nor decoding mediates the relationship between the variables. However, it was found that SRF is a variable that mediates the relationship between flexibility and reading comprehension. Results are discussed in the context of the relevance of early measures of inhibition and flexibility to explain reading comprehension and the role of SRF in this relationship.

Cross-linguistic differences in the associations between morphological awareness and reading in Spanish and English in young simultaneous bilinguals

ABSTRACT This study aimed to clarify the relations between morphological awareness and literacy skills in Spanish and English in young simultaneous bilingual learners. Guided by theoretical perspectives on the associations between morphological awareness and word- versus sentence-level literacy skills, and their transfer between bilinguals’ two languages, we asked bilingual children (N = 90; M = 8.07 years old) to complete dual-language literacy assessments. First, we observed cross-linguistic differences in the associations between morphology and reading. In English, morphological awareness was directly related to word reading and reading comprehension, whereas in Spanish, the association with reading comprehension was fully mediated by vocabulary and single word reading. Second, we observed cross-linguistic associations from English word reading to Spanish reading comprehension, and from Spanish reading comprehension to English reading comprehension. Our findings inform bilingual literacy theory by revealing both cross-linguistic differences and bidirectional associations between literacy skills across typologically-distinct orthographies. In particular, children’s word-level skills transferred from the language of schooling (English) into their heritage language (Spanish), and their broader reading comprehension skills transferred from the heritage language to support English. Taken together, these findings support the value of bilingual heritage language maintenance for reading achievement in children’s dominant language of literacy instruction.

Simple view of reading in Spanish: A longitudinal study

ObjectivesTest the validity of the Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) in Spanish and analyze the contributions of decoding and linguistic abilities to reading comprehension. MethodThis longitudinal study assessed a sample of 71 Spanish speaking children at Grade 1 and Grade 3. At each time point, a battery of tests assessed children's linguistic abilities, decoding and reading comprehension. The authors used the classic model of SVR: model 0 (pseudoword accuracy reading and listening comprehension) and a complex model: Model 1 (linguistic abilities and decoding). ResultsResults of regression analyses showed that the original model of the SVR, explained little variance of reading comprehension in Spanish in comparison with the results obtained in English. However, a complex model explained 51% and 55% of the variance of reading comprehension in first and third grade respectively. The unique contribution of linguistic abilities increased from 27% in first grade to 43% in third grade and the contribution of decoding decreased from 24% in first grade to 2% in third grade. ConclusionsThe results are explained in terms of the transparent nature of Spanish orthography and educational implications are discussed.

The influence of teachers’ math instructional practices on English learners’ reading comprehension and math problem-solving performance in Spanish and English

ABSTRACT We explored the role of three math instructional practices by teachers (explicit instruction, guided practice, peer interaction) in predicting current Spanish and English reading comprehension and later Spanish and English math problem-solving performance of English learners (ELs). In this study, math was taught in Spanish. We had 26 teachers and 319 Spanish-speaking ELs from dual language classrooms. Of concern was whether the teachers’ use of these three practices in the first year of the study yielded significant predictions in ELs’ Spanish and English reading comprehension in the current year and math problem-solving accuracy in the subsequent years. Our multilevel modeling results indicated that math skills could predict reading performance and that early calculation in Spanish and English significantly predicted later problem-solving performance. The results also indicated a trade-off regarding the language of instruction and math ability. Further, such instructional practices were more likely to benefit ELs without learning difficulties in math (LDM) than those with LDM. These findings suggest that when teachers use the three instructional practices in early years, these practices need to account for the language of instruction and the continuum of student abilities related to math in order to better improve ELs’ problem-solving accuracy in later years.

Contributions of bilingual home environment and language proficiency on children's Spanish-English reading outcomes.

This study examines the influence of language environment on language and reading skills and the cross-linguistic contributions to reading outcomes in 132 Spanish-English bilingual children ages 7-12 (52% female; 98% Hispanic). We present three major findings: children's language knowledge is separable into general (e.g., phonological awareness) and language-specific (e.g., meaning, grammar) skills; regular Spanish use positively relates to children's Spanish language and reading skills and does not limit English skills; and Spanish reading comprehension is positively associated with English reading comprehension. The model explains a significant percentage of the variance in English (R2 =.89) and Spanish (R2 =.87) reading comprehension outcomes. Findings shed light on the interdependence of Spanish and English as they relate to bilingual reading acquisition.

Reading Comprehension in Both Spanish and English as a Foreign Language by High School Spanish Students.

Several studies have highlighted that reading comprehension is determined by different linguistic skills: semantics, syntax, and morphology, in addition to one’s own competence in reading fluency (accuracy, speed, and prosody). On the other hand, according to the Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis, linguistic skills developed in one’s own native language (L1) facilitate the development of these skills in a second one (L2). In this study, we wanted to explore the linguistic abilities that determine reading comprehension in Spanish (L1) and in English (L2) in Secondary Education students. To do this, 73 Secondary Education Students (1st and 3rd year) participated in this study. The students carried out a battery of tasks in English and Spanish, all of them related to reading comprehension (expository text) and different linguistic skills, which included syntactic awareness tasks, synonymy judgment tasks (vocabulary), and morphological awareness tasks. The results indicated a positive correlation between linguistic competencies in both languages (indicating a transfer effect between languages), which were determined by school year, with a lower performance in the 1st year than in the 3rd year. Moreover, we found more skills with correlations in English reading comprehension than in Spanish. Finally, reading comprehension in L1 was mainly explained English reading comprehension, while English reading comprehension was predicted by grade, and syntactic awareness, as well as Spanish reading comprehension. This could be explained by the different levels of exposure to L1 and L2 of sample subjects, as the linguistic variables have different influences on the reading comprehension of both languages.

The role of language comprehension skills and instructional practices in cross-language influence of Spanish-speaking dual language learners’ calculation skills

The purpose of this empirical study was 2-fold: (a) to investigate the relationships between Spanish-speaking dual language learners’ (DLLs, N = 223) Spanish language comprehension skills, Spanish calculation performance, English language comprehension skills, and English calculation performance; and (b) to explore the relationship between teachers’ (N = 20) instructional activities and DLLs’ calculation performance. Three important findings emerged. First, significant relationships occurred: (a) between DLLs’ Spanish vocabulary knowledge and Spanish reading comprehension (β = 0.59, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.37); and (b) between DLLs’ Spanish reading comprehension and Spanish calculation performance (β = 0.17, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.12). Second, a significant cross-linguistic relationship in Spanish and English calculation performance emerged (β = 0.41, p < 0.05, R2 = 0.29). Finally, teachers’ explicit teaching and guided practice significantly predicted DLLs’ Spanish calculation performance, but only teachers’ explicit teaching significantly moderated the impact of DLLs’ Spanish calculation performance on their English calculation performance. These findings support the notion that: (a) DLLs’ Spanish language comprehension skills predict their Spanish calculation performance, which subsequently impacts their English calculation performance; and (b) teachers’ explicit teaching and guided practice directly enhance DLLs’ Spanish calculation performance, which in turn later influences their English calculation performance.

Longitudinal Predictors of Bilingual Language Proficiency, Decoding, and Oral Reading Fluency on Reading Comprehension in Spanish and in English

This study examined the longitudinal prediction of decoding, oral reading fluency (ORF), and bilingual language proficiency (BLP) on student reading comprehension (RC) outcomes in Spanish and in English. Participants were first-grade Latinx students attending bilingual programs. Findings indicated that BLP initial status and gains were significant predictors of Spanish and English RC at the end of second grade. English and Spanish decoding in first grade, in addition to BLP, explained 27 percent of the variance in English reading comprehension. However, only Spanish decoding was a significant predictor of Spanish reading comprehension. Once English and Spanish second grade ORF scores were added to the model, decoding no longer explained any of the variance in RC. BLP, English ORF initial status and gains, and Spanish gains explained 47 percent of the variance in English reading comprehension. BLP and Spanish ORF initial status explained 46 percent of the variance in Spanish RC. IMPACT STATEMENT The findings from this study provide school psychologists and teachers relevant information on the importance of measuring bilingual student decoding and oral reading fluency in Spanish and in English as well as bilingual language proficiency to ensure students are comprehending what they read in both languages. There are differences between the predictive utility of these variables on Spanish and English reading comprehension that should be considered when making instructional decisions for bilingual students. For researchers, more measures are needed that can assess student bilingual language proficiency briefly, efficiently, and reliably, as well as additional studies examining how bilingualism can benefit and enrich bilingual student reading comprehension.

The Relationship between Metacomprehension and Reading Comprehension in Spanish as a Second Language

The importance of reading proficiency in a second language (L2) is growing worldwide. Reading in a L2 involves many questions about the abilities of reading comprehension, including metacomprehension, a core reading ability in native speakers (L1) that allows them to be aware of their reading comprehension level and to regulate their learning. However, its link to L2 has not been sufficiently researched. This study examines the relationship between the reading comprehension scores of diverse texts and metacomprehension, assessed by the ECOMPLEC test and PROLEC-R reading task, in Portuguese students studying Spanish as a L2. Similar to the results found in L1 research, we found a significant relationship between reading comprehension and metacomprehension in expository and discontinuous texts: students with low reading comprehension scores overestimated their metacomprehension while metacomprehension abilities of students with high reading comprehension abilities were more accurate. These results provide a frame of reference for future studies on metacomprehension in L2.

Relationships Between Phonological Awareness and Reading in Spanish: A Meta‐Analysis

AbstractPrevious meta‐analyses of the relationship between phonological awareness (PA) and reading have been conducted mostly in children who speak English, a language with an opaque writing system. In this study, we present a meta‐analysis that examined mean correlations between three PA tasks testing phonemic, syllabic, and intrasyllabic awareness and three reading tasks testing word reading, nonword reading, and reading comprehension in Spanish, a language with a near‐transparent writing system. A random‐effects model of 47 articles (N = 7,956) was used for a multiple correlation study that showed a significantly moderate correlation between some of the PA subcategories and the reading tasks in Spanish‐speaking children. The largest correlation values were found between syllabic awareness and reading, which highlights the importance of syllable recognition during reading acquisition. In addition, we found that intrasyllabic awareness also plays an important role in reading in Spanish. The findings are discussed from a cross‐linguistic perspective.

A Socio-Cultural Approach to Evaluating and Designing Reading Comprehension Apps for Language Learning

Mobile devices are increasingly promoted as tools to facilitate ubiquitous and individualized learning, allowing learners to work at their own pace in authentic and meaningful settings. However, in the case of second language learning, there is a paucity of apps and tools related to improving students' reading comprehension in both Spanish and English. Additionally, there are few studies that address the evaluation of applications for reading comprehension and innovation in this field and this is required in order to respond to the needs of transformation in language learning teaching. The authors present an original evaluation of 25 English language learning mobile apps using the iPAC app rubric, which identifies the pedagogical features of mobile learning: personalisation, authenticity, and collaboration. The results indicate that many of the existing apps fail to fully exploit the affordances of mobile learning and collaboration in particular. The findings suggest recommendations for app developers to design comprehension apps that address these shortcomings.

Reading comprehension in Spanish by Quechua-Spanish bilingual children

ABSTRACT This research analyzes data collected by the Young Lives project on childhood poverty. It addresses the effect of socio-demographic, individual, and linguistic variables – focusing on the latter – on reading comprehension in Spanish by 502 Peruvian Quechua-Spanish bilingual children aged 8 years. The regression model tested explained 46% of the variance found: beyond the effect of non-linguistic factors, receptive vocabulary – followed by listening comprehension and reading accuracy – played the most important role. The importance of specifically promoting vocabulary development in the classroom over skills related to decoding is underlined.

The relationship between motivation to read and reading comprehension in chilean elementary students

This study examined the role of reading motivation in reading comprehension achievement of 1070 Chilean third, fourth, and fifth-grade students enrolled in public and private schools. Students were assessed in Spanish reading comprehension and were administered the Motivation to Read Profile from Gambrell, Palmer, Codling and Mazzoni (1996), at the beginning and end of the school year. Results showed that motivation to read at the beginning of the school year was significantly associated with gains in reading comprehension skills. When disaggregating motivation into self-concept and value of reading, only self-concept of reading significantly predicted gains in reading comprehension. Moderation analyses showed that students that started the year with lower reading comprehension and higher motivation to read, had significantly better reading comprehension at the end of the school year, than their peers who started with lower reading motivation. The pedagogical implications are discussed.

A Cross-Linguistic Examination of Heterogeneous Reading Profiles of Spanish-Speaking Bilingual Students

Research with English monolinguals has identified key subskills of reading comprehension that can differentiate subgroups of readers. There remains a dearth of research examining these subskills in Spanish-speaking bilingual students, and few studies have identified subgroups of readers whose home language is Spanish. This study used latent profile analysis to identify three distinct reader profiles of Spanish-speaking bilingual students based on Spanish and English word reading and vocabulary measures and examined profile differences in Spanish and English reading comprehension. The profiles were primarily distinguished by Spanish measures and were labeled “balanced Spanish and English,” “average English/low Spanish expressive Language,” and “English dominant.” All three profiles scored significantly differently in Spanish reading comprehension. The balanced Spanish and English profile scored higher than the English-dominant profile in English reading comprehension. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Reflections of L1 reading comprehension skills in university academic grades for an undergraduate translation programme

ABSTRACTConcerns about poor L1 reading skills in undergraduate students have been expressed in several contexts. These skills form a basis for building robust L2 reading comprehension skills, vital for translators. This study, which is part of a larger organization-based action research study to improve L1 reading levels, aimed to explore how L1 reading comprehension skills were reflected and predicted the overall academic performance of students on a South American undergraduate translator training programme using regression modelling. Seventy-nine students from second, third and fourth year of the programme were recruited for this study. They were asked to take a standardized Spanish reading comprehension test measuring word-level comprehension, sentence-level comprehension and text-level comprehension. Also, participants’ final grades for all completed courses were obtained, as well as students’ scores in a pre-entry English test providing a baseline level L2 knowledge prior to being formally trained on English. The results showed that students’ overall grades were predicted by and correlated with lower order sentence-level reading skills, rather than higher-order text-level skills, which was found to be of some concern inasmuch as the translation process demands reading skills that go well beyond the sentence boundary. Given the impact that evaluation can have on student learning, and that the connection between reading comprehension and academic results on translation programs does not appear to have been considered in the literature previously, the study may highlight a need for other institutions wishing to improve L1 reading skills to similarly examine their summative evaluation practices.

Food for Education in Guatemala: links between food intake and reading comprehension

ABSTRACTThis study examined how dietary diversity and key demographics are linked to greater Spanish reading comprehension for child beneficiaries of a USDA-funded Food for Education programme in Guatemala. All students in 3rd and 6th grade were surveyed across 118 schools, 3519 children in total. Generalised linear mixed models examined the influence of dietary diversity, and K’iche’ language ability, on children’s Spanish reading comprehension. Dietary diversity showed no significant relationships. However, consumption of eggs on the day of assessment predicted higher reading comprehension scores. Children who indicated they spoke K’iche’ fared worse on assessments. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.

Correlates of reading comprehension and word-problem solving skills of Spanish-speaking dual language learners

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the within- and cross-language relations of components of the simple view of reading and to evaluate correlates of reading comprehension and word-problem solving skills in a sample of Spanish-speaking dual language learners (DLLs). Seventy-two Spanish-speaking DLLs in first and second grade completed measures of decoding, vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, and word-problem solving skills in Spanish and English. Results indicated that decoding skills and expressive vocabulary knowledge significantly predicted reading comprehension outcomes within-languages. Additionally, there was a significant direct effect of Spanish expressive vocabulary on English reading comprehension, suggesting the possibility for interdependence of literacy-related skills across languages. Results of analysis of word-problem solving outcomes indicated that decoding and expressive vocabulary knowledge were equally predictive of reading comprehension and word-problem solving skills. These findings have important implications for assessment and intervention of reading and mathematics skills of DLLs.

For US Students, L2 Reading Comprehension is Hard Because L2 Listening Comprehension is Hard, Too

The Simple View of Reading (SVR) model posits that reading is the product of word decoding and language comprehension and that oral language (listening) comprehension is the best predictor of reading comprehension once word-decoding skill has been established. The SVR model also proposes that there are good readers and three types of poor readers—dyslexic, hyperlexic, and garden variety. In this study, a random sample of US high school monolingual English speakers completing first-, second-, and third-year Spanish courses were administered standardized measures of Spanish word decoding, reading, listening comprehension, and vocabulary and then classified according to SVR reader types. Findings showed that regardless of reader type, most students exhibited good word decoding but poor reading and listening comprehension skills even when compared to young native Spanish speakers. There were strong and significant correlations between Spanish reading comprehension, Spanish listening comprehension, and Spanish vocabulary. Path analyses showed that listening comprehension was the strongest predictor of reading comprehension but vocabulary contributed independent variance to Spanish reading ability. Findings indicate that Spanish reading comprehension is hard for US learners primarily because their Spanish oral language comprehension skills are very weak.