Convergent validity of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills with the Test of Phonological Awareness in Spanish and the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing in English

Latino English Language Learners represent the largest group of language minority students attending public school in the United States. Research is needed to address the early literacy problems which impede this population from acquiring literacy in the English language with efficacy and to determine the most effective assessment and intervention methods for this population. The purpose of this study was to explore the concurrent validity of a curriculum based measure, DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency, with two norm referenced instruments, the Test of Phonological Awareness in Spanish and the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing in English, which measure a highly predictive variable for word decoding; phonological awareness. Results provided evidence of a relationship between oral reading fluency and phonological awareness in English and Spanish, the predictive validity of phonological awareness as measured by the CTOPP for DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency, and the existence of cross-linguistic transfer between phonological awareness in Spanish and phonological awareness in English. Implications for intervention were that training in phonological awareness will likely enhance the development of the early literacy skills of Latino English Language Learners. The validity of DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency as an appropriate curriculum based measure for assessment of the early word decoding skills of Latino English Language Learners was supported as evidenced by the sequential regression procedure employed for data analysis