Early literacy and executive function profiles in Spanish-English emergent bilinguals

Abstract

This study investigated the interplay between early literacy and executive function (EF) skills in influencing English reading development among Spanish-English emergent bilinguals. Using a person-centered approach, I identified three distinct bilingual early literacy and EF profiles: (1) Average Bilingual Literacy with High Cognitive Flexibility but Low Working Memory, (2) Below-Average Bilingual Literacy and EF with Low Cognitive Flexibility, and (3) High Spanish Literacy with High EF, especially Working Memory. Children in the High Spanish Literacy with High EF, especially Working Memory profile consistently outperformed other groups in English reading, underscoring the contributions of Spanish reading skills and EF, particularly working memory, to English reading. Further, older children and those with higher parental education were more likely to be in profiles with stronger literacy and EF skills. Findings underscore the interplay between cognitive, literacy, and environmental factors in bilingual children's reading development and have implications for early literacy instruction and intervention.

Educational relevance and implications statement

This study examines how early literacy skills in Spanish and English, along with executive function abilities, influence emergent bilingual children's reading development. I identified distinct profiles of emergent bilinguals based on their literacy and cognitive skills in kindergarten, with those characterized by having stronger early literacy and cognitive skills consistently outperforming other groups. This highlights the crucial role of strong literacy and cognitive skills, especially working memory and early Spanish reading proficiency in supporting English reading growth. Additionally, I found that older children and those with higher parental education were more likely to belong to profiles with stronger literacy and executive function skills. These findings emphasize the importance of fostering bilingual children's heritage language literacy, as early Spanish reading skills contribute to long-term English reading success and provide crucial insights into designing instructional approaches that build on bilingual children's strengths to support their literacy development.