Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational and Psychological Studies

Major Professor

Lisa López, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Matthew Foster, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Robert Dedrick, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jennifer Mariano, Ph.D.

Keywords

Preschool, Bilingual, Academic Achievement, Early Education

Abstract

The aims of this three paper dissertation are as follows: First, to examine the cross-domain associations between school readiness skills, including oral language, literacy, and math skills, within and across languages in Spanish-English speaking DLLs in PreK. Second, to explore the cross-domain associations between oral language, literacy, and mathematics skills at varying levels of literacy and math achievement. Finally, to review the quantitative methods used in research on school readiness skills and the home and classroom contextual factors that support these skills for Spanish-English speaking DLLs in the United States over the past decade. Spanish-English speaking DLLs enter early childhood educational settings with unique cultural and linguistic assets, requiring targeted support to foster their school readiness (López & Páez, 2021).

School readiness is a critical component of early childhood education in the United States and plays a key role in shaping children’s future academic outcomes (Weiland & Yoshikawa, 2013). Research examining Latine DLLs in U.S. education programs reveals significant within-language and cross-language relationships between oral language, literacy, and math skills. Results from structural equation modeling and quantile regression analyses conducted with a sample of 330 Latine DLLs from a southeastern U.S. state indicated strong and positive within-language relationships between language, literacy, and math skills, with slight variations in these associations based on literacy and math achievement levels. The analyses also showed weak to moderate cross-language relationships, with similar variations depending on literacy and math achievement levels. These findings underscore the importance of providing targeted support for both home language (i.e., Spanish) and English skills as DLLs develop their literacy and math skills. Furthermore, a systematic review of recent studies highlights the growing use of general and generalized linear models, along with newer methodologies such as mixture modeling and single-case study designs, offering valuable insights for advancing research in DLL school readiness.

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