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The Contributions of Kindergarten Oral Language Skills to Reading Comprehension in Second Language German Bilinguals

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Title: The Contributions of Kindergarten Oral Language Skills to Reading Comprehension in Second Language German Bilinguals
Language: English
Authors: Freideriki Tselekidou (ORCID 0000-0003-3846-791X), Nathalie Topaj (ORCID 0000-0001-6303-3051), Laura Justice (ORCID 0000-0002-0580-0280), Natalia Gagarina (ORCID 0000-0002-5136-1071)
Source: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2026 69(2):611-626.
Availability: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Kindergarten
Primary Education
Grade 1
Grade 2
Descriptors: Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2, Oral Language, Language Skills, Reading Comprehension, Second Language Learning, Bilingual Students, German, Russian, Turkish, Vocabulary, Morphology (Languages), Syntax, Decoding (Reading), Age Differences, Short Term Memory, Predictor Variables, Phonological Awareness, Correlation
DOI: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00898
ISSN: 1092-4388
1558-9102
Abstract: Purpose: This longitudinal study investigated how kindergarten oral language skills predict second-grade reading comprehension in bilinguals with second language (L2) German, as well as the moderating role of word-decoding skills in this relationship. Method: Fifty-nine Russian-German and Turkish-German bilingual children were followed from kindergarten to Grade 2. Oral language skills, including vocabulary and morphosyntax, were measured in kindergarten, and word-decoding speed and sentence- and text-level reading comprehension were assessed in Grade 2. Age in kindergarten, age of onset (AoO) of L2 German, and phonological short-term memory were included as covariates. Results: Generalized mixed-effects models showed that vocabulary significantly predicted sentence and text reading comprehension in Grade 2 after controlling for age, AoO of L2 German, and phonological skills. Morphosyntactic skills were not significant. Moderation analyses revealed that the positive association between early vocabulary and text-level comprehension was more pronounced among children with average to strong word-decoding skills. For sentence-level comprehension, the interaction between word decoding and vocabulary was not significant. Conclusions: Word decoding speed and kindergarten vocabulary emerged as the strongest predictors of later reading comprehension in bilingual children acquiring L2 German, with the impact of vocabulary being more pronounced among children with more developed word-decoding skills. This study highlights the importance of supporting early vocabulary and decoding skills in bilingual children to promote later reading comprehension.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1497139
Database: ERIC
FullText Links:
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  Data: The Contributions of Kindergarten Oral Language Skills to Reading Comprehension in Second Language German Bilinguals
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  Data: English
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Freideriki+Tselekidou%22">Freideriki Tselekidou</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3846-791X">0000-0003-3846-791X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Nathalie+Topaj%22">Nathalie Topaj</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6303-3051">0000-0001-6303-3051</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Laura+Justice%22">Laura Justice</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0580-0280">0000-0002-0580-0280</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Natalia+Gagarina%22">Natalia Gagarina</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5136-1071">0000-0002-5136-1071</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language%2C+and+Hearing+Research%22"><i>Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research</i></searchLink>. 2026 69(2):611-626.
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  Data: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 16
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Primary+Education%22">Primary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+2%22">Grade 2</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Kindergarten%22">Kindergarten</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+1%22">Grade 1</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+2%22">Grade 2</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Oral+Language%22">Oral Language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Skills%22">Language Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+Comprehension%22">Reading Comprehension</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Second+Language+Learning%22">Second Language Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bilingual+Students%22">Bilingual Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22German%22">German</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Russian%22">Russian</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Turkish%22">Turkish</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary%22">Vocabulary</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Morphology+%28Languages%29%22">Morphology (Languages)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Syntax%22">Syntax</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decoding+%28Reading%29%22">Decoding (Reading)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Short+Term+Memory%22">Short Term Memory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Predictor+Variables%22">Predictor Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Phonological+Awareness%22">Phonological Awareness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00898
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1092-4388<br />1558-9102
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This longitudinal study investigated how kindergarten oral language skills predict second-grade reading comprehension in bilinguals with second language (L2) German, as well as the moderating role of word-decoding skills in this relationship. Method: Fifty-nine Russian-German and Turkish-German bilingual children were followed from kindergarten to Grade 2. Oral language skills, including vocabulary and morphosyntax, were measured in kindergarten, and word-decoding speed and sentence- and text-level reading comprehension were assessed in Grade 2. Age in kindergarten, age of onset (AoO) of L2 German, and phonological short-term memory were included as covariates. Results: Generalized mixed-effects models showed that vocabulary significantly predicted sentence and text reading comprehension in Grade 2 after controlling for age, AoO of L2 German, and phonological skills. Morphosyntactic skills were not significant. Moderation analyses revealed that the positive association between early vocabulary and text-level comprehension was more pronounced among children with average to strong word-decoding skills. For sentence-level comprehension, the interaction between word decoding and vocabulary was not significant. Conclusions: Word decoding speed and kindergarten vocabulary emerged as the strongest predictors of later reading comprehension in bilingual children acquiring L2 German, with the impact of vocabulary being more pronounced among children with more developed word-decoding skills. This study highlights the importance of supporting early vocabulary and decoding skills in bilingual children to promote later reading comprehension.
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  Data: EJ1497139
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-24-00898
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 611
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Kindergarten
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 1
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grade 2
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Oral Language
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading Comprehension
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Second Language Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bilingual Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: German
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Russian
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Turkish
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Vocabulary
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Morphology (Languages)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Syntax
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decoding (Reading)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Short Term Memory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Predictor Variables
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Phonological Awareness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Correlation
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The Contributions of Kindergarten Oral Language Skills to Reading Comprehension in Second Language German Bilinguals
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