Examining Reading Specialists' Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Cross-Linguistic Transfer for K–3 Spanish-Speaking Multilingual Students Classified as English Learners

Jonathan M. Kittle

Multilingual students classified as English learners (ML-ELs) constitute one of the fastest-growing student populations in U.S. public schools. Educators are increasingly responsible for supporting their literacy development while they acquire English as a new language. For these students, their home languages play a critical role in their English literacy development through cross-linguistic transfer. Understanding transfer is essential for reading specialists — those who are increasingly providing ML-ELs with targeted reading instruction. Although most states require reading specialists to have a basic understanding of transfer, credentialing requirements rarely specify the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) necessary to guide effective instruction — what skills transfer, when they transfer, and how to support this transfer in the classroom. As a result, limited understanding exists regarding how reading specialists develop and apply this knowledge in real-world settings. As the majority of elementary-aged ML-ELs speak Spanish, this dissertation examines reading specialists' PCK related to cross-linguistic transfer for K–3 Spanish-speaking ML-ELs. Using a multi-phase, mixed methods case study with a sequential explanatory approach, this study includes: (1) a systematic review of research on cross-linguistic transfer; (2) a national survey developed from the review findings to measure reading specialists' knowledge and identify distinct knowledge profiles; and (3) a case study analysis involving interviews with reading specialists from each knowledge profile to understand profile membership. By understanding how reading specialists conceptualize and apply knowledge of cross-linguistic transfer, findings will inform reading specialist preparation and professional learning to better leverage ML-ELs' full linguistic repertoire.

About Jonathan M. Kittle

Jonathan M. Kittle is a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware's School of Education. Drawing on quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches, his research examines how the home languages of multilingual students classified as English learners (ML-ELs) influence their English literacy development and the knowledge educators need to provide effective literacy instruction for ML-ELs. His dissertation investigates reading specialists' knowledge of cross-linguistic transfer by identifying distinct knowledge profiles and exploring how reading specialists' lived experiences help explain differences in their profile membership. His broader goal is to inform reading specialist preparation and professional learning by using insights from this work to strengthen reading specialists' capacity to leverage ML-ELs' full linguistic repertoire. His work has been published in Educational Psychology Review and The Reading Teacher, and his research has been supported by the International Literacy Association's Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship. As a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Panama), ESL instructor, and AmeriCorps reading interventionist, he brings the perspectives of a language learner and practitioner to his research.