Using scaffolded text with systematic progression of spelling patterns to promote Hispanic children’s early literacy

ABSTRACT

This comparative, descriptive study examined the relationship between text-type use and early literacy outcomes of English language decoding ability. The representative sample was 80 grade 1 students receiving reading instruction using English language materials with a focus on the Spanish speaking, Hispanic English Language Learner (ELL) using scaffolded text when learning to read. The research aims were about specific pairwise comparisons. The comparisons were analyzed with t tests, noting the mean differences in correct number of English words decoded from a list of 253 words. Words correctly decoded were tallied for each student. There were three groups and two comparisons. Group 1: Hispanic, ELL receiving reading instruction using scaffolded text (ST)*. Group 2: Hispanic, ELL using non-scaffolded text (NST)*. Group 3: English only (EO) students using NST. Comparison 1: Group 1 and Group 2. Comparison 2: Group 1 and Group 3. Results show that Group 1 correctly decoded significantly more words than Group 2. Group 1 correctly decoded more words than Group 3; this difference was not statistically significant. Results of this study provide preliminary support for the use of scaffolded text in helping Hispanic ELL decode English text.

KEYWORDS:

• Decoding
• Hispanic
• English language learners
• scaffolded text
• spelling patterns
• beginning reading instruction
• text use
• early literacy

Acknowledgments

This study and publication were made possible by support and commitment of the Kaiser-Salem school district, community, principal, and grade 1 teachers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Gail M. Wolf

Dr Gail M. Wolf is an assistant professor, and reading researcher who works at Oregon Health & Science University. Dr Wolf's research focus is on the connection between early childhood literacy and living a productive, healthy life. She has conducted, and continues to conduct research on beginning reading instruction. Her latest published work (2016) is titled, Letter-sound reading: Teaching preschool children print-to-sound processing published in the Early Childhood Education Journal. Also available at PubMed National Institute of Health research database: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4733470. Dr Wolf has presented her work at the National Institute for Healthcare Advancement's Health Literacy Conference in 2010, and 2013, and was selected to be a keynote speaker at the 10th World Congress on Healthcare & Technologies, July 2017, in Lisbon, Portugal. Dr Wolf was invited to present her research at World Education Day, 2017. Dr Wolf's current completed research includes work with Hispanic children in early literacy. She can be contacted at Oregon Health & Science University, School of Nursing.