Early Literacy in Spanish: A Scoping Review of Research in Latin America and Spain

Abstract

Most early literacy research has been conducted in English, and researchers run the risk of overgeneralizing findings to other languages. This scoping review seeks to fill a need in the field by analyzing recent studies on the literacy learning of 3- to 5-year-old children living in Spanish-dominant countries. In total, 58 studies on cognitive and sociocultural processes inherent in early literacy learning conducted between 2010 and 2021 in Latin America and Spain met the inclusion criteria. The findings are consistent with existing evidence about literacy processes common across different languages and orthographies but also identify language-specific features and context-specific practices in the home and classroom that shape children’s early literacy in Spanish in unique ways. Findings also reveal a heavy focus on cognitive processes, which has limited the scope of early literacy research in Spanish-dominant countries. Future studies should carefully examine how sociocultural aspects shape Spanish literacy learning.