Working Memory Profiles of English Monolinguals and Spanish-English Bilinguals

This study aimed to first identify working memory (WM) profiles among English-speaking monolingual and Spanish-English bilingual second graders using comprehensive WM measures. We further compared children's characteristics and language/literacy skills across the identified WM profiles.

We leveraged a secondary data set including 240 second graders (163 English monolingual and 77 Spanish-English bilingual children). Children were assessed on multiple WM measures and English language and literacy skills measures; bilinguals were further assessed on Spanish language skills.

Latent profile analysis revealed four WM profiles: (a) average-low WM (30.17%); (b) low central executive, average phonological WM (11.98%); (c) high central executive, average-high WM (48.35%); and (d) high WM (9.50%). Children in higher WM profiles outperformed others in expressive vocabulary, core language skills, word reading, and passage comprehension. Several child characteristics significantly distinguished profile membership, indicating advantages for older children, girls, and monolinguals in WM skills. Among Spanish-English bilinguals, significant relations were found between WM profile membership and child characteristics (Hispanic background), and language/literacy skills (English expressive vocabulary, core language skills, passage comprehension, and Spanish formulated sentences).

Findings highlight distinct WM profiles and their associations with language and literacy development in monolingual and bilingual children. Understanding these WM profiles provides a foundation for future research on how cognitive variability contributes to individual differences in language and literacy learning.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32470530.