The development of a literacy assessment battery for Maltese children

Abstract

This research examines the literacy performance of children who are exposed to one or two languages at home and/or at school in Malta. The purpose of the study is to standardise a novel battery of Maltese reading, writing and reading related tests. Maltese tests were developed in parallel to UK/US standardised assessments. A total of 549 pupils in grades 4, 5 and 6 (aged 8 to 12 years) from state, independent and religious schools participated. The sample includes 383 typically developing students and 166 pupils previously identified with reading difficulties. A comparison of the children's performance on the Maltese and English tests was undertaken and discussed in terms of the children's first (L 1) and second (L2) language competencies and classroom reading instruction methods taken from parent and teacher questionnaires. Reliability and validity studies were carried out for the purpose of standardisation. Regression analyses outlined important predictors in English and Maltese reading and writing. Principal component analyses and binary logistic regressions show that three test batteries can be used in the diagnosis of literacy difficulties depending on whether the child is (1) monolingual Maltese-, (2) monolingual English- or (3) bilingual Maltese-English speaking. Findings indicate that the type of school the child attends and, more importantly, the language(s) spoken in the classroom should be taken into consideration in the identification of reading difficulties. Findings are discussed in relation to similar studies carried out on other bilingual populations. The Maltese test battery is the first of its kind and can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for the identification of reading difficulties in this linguistically diverse population. Keywords: literacy, assessment, monolingual, bilingual, reading instruction.