This one-year longitudinal study examined the impact of metalinguistic awareness on character reading and spelling among young learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL). Assessments of orthographic, morphological, and phonological awareness, character and word reading, spelling, and oral vocabulary were conducted with 204 ethnic minority students at two time points. Longitudinal path analysis controlling for age, nonverbal intelligence, and oral vocabulary accounted for 62–86% of the variance in reading and spelling. Orthographic awareness made the strongest and most consistent contributions to both skills, while the influence of phonological awareness declined over time. Morphological awareness showed only a limited effect, predicting character reading at the first time point but not later. Oral vocabulary predicted reading and spelling and was associated with later phonological and morphological awareness, but not with orthographic awareness. A reciprocal effect from earlier reading to later orthographic awareness was also found. The findings highlight the central role of orthographic awareness and the relations among metalinguistic skills, oral language, and literacy development in young CSL learners, emphasising the need for an integrated approach to CSL literacy instruction.

Abstract The present study examines the relationships between executive functions and early writing skills (specifically handwriting and spelling) in Spanish-speaking kindergarten students. In addition, the study examines the latent structure of executive functions in kindergarten-aged children, which was best represented by a unitary construct. Early writing is crucial for academic development, and executive functions may significantly contribute to both handwriting performance and the acquisition of spelling skills. Based on the “Not-So-Simple View of Writing” framework, executive functions are recognized as playing a pivotal role in writing development by coordinating transcription and text generation skills. Although previous research has highlighted the importance of executive functions in writing, findings in young children are contradictory, and there is a lack of evidence on how they relate to transcription skills in early childhood, particularly in contexts with transparent orthographic systems like Spanish. This study aimed to analyze the contribution of executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and attention) to early writing skills, specifically transcription skills (handwriting and spelling) in Spanish kindergarten children. Participants ( N = 352, 181 girls) were in the third year of kindergarten (M age = 5.82 years, SD = 0.33) from seven public and private schools on the island of Tenerife (Spain). Results from the Structural Equation Model (SEM) showed that executive functions were significantly related to writing skills and had a greater impact on spelling than on handwriting. The study underscores the need for targeted instructional strategies focused on executive function within educational programs and interventions to enhance writing skills, specifically transcription skills, among Spanish-speaking kindergarten children.

Abstract Parents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often demonstrate less positive parenting behaviors, lower involvement, and greater household chaos, which relate to parent-child interactions and poorer child outcomes. This study delved into the nature of writing support provided by parents with ADHD for their preschool-aged children and how their support related to children’s early literacy, beyond children’s age and parents’ education. Participants were 41 Israeli parents (36 mothers, 5 fathers) with ADHD, whose average age was 39.40 ( SD = 5.67), and one of their preschool-aged children. Parents completed a self-report ADHD scale and children’s early literacy skills (letter knowledge, phonological awareness, early writing) were assessed. Parents were asked to help their children write words. Parents’ writing support was analyzed for both literacy elements (grapho-phonemic and printing support) and emotional elements (positive reinforcement, entry into child’s space, lack of accuracy demands). Results revealed that more severe ADHD symptomology was significantly associated with lower level support, more positive reinforcements, and more instances of entry into the child’s space. Parents’ grapho-phonemic and printing support significantly positively related to children’s literacy skills and their lack of accuracy demands significantly negatively related to children’s literacy skills (except early writing). Finally, beyond children’s age, parents’ writing support explained a significant portion of the variance in children’s letter knowledge and phonological awareness. This initial foray into how parents with ADHD interact with their children surrounding literacy, indicates that these parents may benefit from guidance regarding the importance of their support, and suggests methods for supporting their children’s literacy.

Abstract The science of reading movement has had a strong influence on teaching and research in the last 7–10 years, although writing has received less attention in the movement Graham (2020). This survey of 187 general and 188 special education elementary teachers was conducted to examine their use of writing to support reading, with return rates of 22.9% and 25.3%, respectively. The survey has a conservative margin of error of rate of +/− 7% (which reduced to +/− 5% for many items). Both samples responded to identical questions about their writing to read practices, beliefs, self-efficacy, and training. Results indicated large proportions of teachers (84% of general education and 77% special education) believed writing is effective for improving reading and used many effective practices. However, substantial proportions of teachers reported being uncertain or disagreeing that writing is effective for improving reading, used practices less frequently, and believe the practices to be less effective with younger and low-achieving writers. Regression models showed that special education teachers reported using fewer practices than general education teachers ( p = .026), although there was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of their use of writing to read practices ( p = .423). Teachers’ beliefs were statistically significant predictors of their use of the practices. Recommendations center on emphasizing writing within the science of reading movement, identifying areas for future research.