Literacy Profiles of Kindergarten Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Difficulties with reading development have been well documented in samples of individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). This study utilized a state-level dataset of early literacy skills in kindergarten students with EBD ( N = 522) to investigate the development of foundational reading skills across the kindergarten year. The study employed latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis (LTA) to empirically derive profiles of readers at kindergarten entry and kindergarten exit. Results demonstrate the heterogenous nature of early reading skills in young students with EBD. Socioeconomic status significantly moderated students’ transitions from fall to spring, whereas gender did not. These findings have important implications for the early reading instruction and intervention of young students with EBD.