ERIC Number: ED623079
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Oct-4
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0719-0409
EISSN: N/A
The Importance of Theory of Mind in Oral and Reading Comprehension in Emergent Bilingual Students
Taboada Barber, Ana; Vizcaya-Jofré, Francisca; Klauda, Susan Lutz
Grantee Submission, Pensamiento Educativo, Revista de Investigación Educacional Latinoamericana v58 n2 p1-18 2021
Theory of Mind (ToM), as a relevant aspect in children's socio-cognitive development, has been widely studied. Some results have suggested that bilingual children have an advantage over their monolingual peers in development of ToM. However, there is less research regarding the predictive role of ToM in performance of oral and reading comprehension in elementary school students. This study evaluated a sample of 84 emergent bilingual, Spanish-speaking, third to fifth graders to identify the predictive role of ToM in their oral comprehension and reading comprehension in English, their second language, controlling for grade, vocabulary, and word identification. ToM was assessed using a test of other people's intentions, beliefs, and perspectives, along with recognition of emotions through facial expressions. For comprehension, standardized measures of oral and reading comprehension were used. The bivariate correlations and hierarchical linear regression analyses between ToM and each of the types of comprehension indicated a prediction of ToM in both types of comprehension when controlling statistically for grade, word identification, and vocabulary. This highlights the role of ToM in oral language and reading variables in emergent bilingual students and emphasizes its importance for teaching of reading for this population.
Descriptors: Theory of Mind, Oral Reading, Reading Comprehension, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Word Recognition, Vocabulary Skills, Social Development, Cognitive Development, Elementary School Students, Correlation, Prediction, Spanish Speaking, Grade 3, Grade 4, Instructional Program Divisions, Comparative Analysis, Standardized Tests, Reading Tests, Bilingualism, Hispanic American Students, Achievement Tests, Language Proficiency, Surveys, Neuropsychology, Tests
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Early Childhood Education; Grade 3; Primary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 5; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement; Woodcock Munoz Language Survey
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A160280
Data File: URL: http://ojs.uc.cl/index.php/pel/article/view/29227/34909