Unveiling the Learning Crisis: Understanding the Reading Comprehension Challenges in Multilingual Contexts
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| Title: | Unveiling the Learning Crisis: Understanding the Reading Comprehension Challenges in Multilingual Contexts |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Fernanda Soares, Cheng Liu, T. J. D'Agostino, Pooja Nakamura, Caroline Freeman |
| Source: | Comparative Education Review. 2025 69(3):421-450. |
| Availability: | University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 30 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Reading Comprehension, Multilingualism, Reading Skills, Language of Instruction, Language Proficiency, Oral Language, Foreign Countries, Reading Difficulties, Decoding (Reading), Severity (of Disability), Language Skills |
| Geographic Terms: | Philippines, Rwanda, Kenya |
| DOI: | 10.1086/736421 |
| ISSN: | 0010-4086 1545-701X |
| Abstract: | This study explores the underlying component reading skills that explain reading comprehension challenges faced by learners in multilingual settings who are instructed in a language in which they may or may not have oral language proficiency. Using data collected in the Philippines, Rwanda, and Kenya, we apply a two-step latent class analysis to first identify students with reading comprehension difficulties and then characterize their distinct skill profiles. In the Philippines, the profiles were primarily characterized by the specificity of skill deficits, such as challenges in decoding, oral language, or both. In contrast, in Rwanda and Kenya, the profiles were predominantly defined by the severity of the deficits, reflecting global difficulties across both decoding and oral language skills. These results underscore the importance of addressing both decoding and oral language skills to improve reading comprehension outcomes, particularly in settings where students are required to learn in languages they may not use at home. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1482429 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study explores the underlying component reading skills that explain reading comprehension challenges faced by learners in multilingual settings who are instructed in a language in which they may or may not have oral language proficiency. Using data collected in the Philippines, Rwanda, and Kenya, we apply a two-step latent class analysis to first identify students with reading comprehension difficulties and then characterize their distinct skill profiles. In the Philippines, the profiles were primarily characterized by the specificity of skill deficits, such as challenges in decoding, oral language, or both. In contrast, in Rwanda and Kenya, the profiles were predominantly defined by the severity of the deficits, reflecting global difficulties across both decoding and oral language skills. These results underscore the importance of addressing both decoding and oral language skills to improve reading comprehension outcomes, particularly in settings where students are required to learn in languages they may not use at home. |
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| ISSN: | 0010-4086 1545-701X |
| DOI: | 10.1086/736421 |
