A Longitudinal Study Predicting Reading Success for English-Language Learners from Kindergarten to Grade 1

This article reports findings from a longitudinal investigation of predictors of reading achievement for English-language learners receiving reading instruction in an Englishlanguage curriculum. Using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessments, the study examined the predictive relationships of various measures of reading and vocabulary from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of first grade. Regression and path analysis models demonstrated that rapid letter naming was a salient predictor, whereas phonemic awareness, typically a strong predictor of reading achievement, played a diminished role. By first grade, the ability to decode simple words was a strong predictor, and by mid-first grade, reading fluency was a strong predictor. Oral vocabulary was not predictive of reading outcomes in kindergarten or first grade.