Despite low academic achievement among language minority learners in the US, particularly with increased years of schooling, few studies have investigated the nature of reading comprehension development of this population. The purpose of this study is to examine, both concurrently and longitudinally, the relationship between oral language and literacy skills as they relate to reading comprehension performance for a group of native Spanish-speakers developing literacy skills in English. The study will examine the degree to which native and second language (i.e., Spanish & English) oral language skills and word reading ability predict specific aspects of English reading comprehension performance in the middle elementary years. A sample of third graders enrolled in an urban, public school district in the northeastern US will be assessed using a battery of language and literacy measures in Spanish and English once at the end of third grade, and again at the end of fourth grade. Correlation analyses and linear multiple regression will be conducted in order to examine the relationships among, and relative influence of, English and Spanish language and literacy skills to English reading comprehension. Findings from the study will inform intervention efforts for language minority students who are beyond the primary grades, and for whom reading comprehension is central to academic achievement.
