Work

Validating the not-so-simple view of writing model in Spanish: A longitudinal panel design study.

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines the developmental relationships between transcription skills, oral narrative competence, executive functions (EFs), and writing production in Spanish-speaking students from kindergarten to second grade (K-2).Using a hybrid approach combining random-intercept cross-lagged panel models and traditional cross-lagged panel models, this study evaluates both intraindividual (within-person) and interindividual (between-person) dynamics across a 3-year period.This methodology provides a nuanced understanding of the complex interactions among cognitive and linguistic components and supports the not-so-simple view of writing as a developmental model in Spanish.A longitudinal sample of 394 students was tracked from kindergarten to second grade.Using this hybrid modeling approach, we found stable autoregressive effects for transcription skills and EFs, indicating moderate temporal stability at the within-person level.Similarly, the findings indicated bidirectional connections between transcription abilities and EFs, implying a dynamic interplay where transcription enhances EFs, and EFs support the development of transcription skills.Analyses further revealed that transcription skills significantly predict productivity, writing quality, and syntactic complexity, highlighting their foundational role in early writing development.EFs also contributed in early stages, influencing dimensions of writing and supporting the automatization of transcription skills.Oral narrative competence played a more selective role, emerging as a predictor of productivity and syntactic complexity but not of writing quality at this stage.These findings emphasize the importance of considering both within-person and between-person dynamics in writing development and have implications for early assessment and instructional practices in transparent orthographies. Educational Impact and Implications StatementThis study shows that transcription skills and executive functions are central to the development of productivity, quality, and syntactic complexity in children's writing, highlighting their close interdependence in the early grades.Oral narrative competence also plays a selective role, supporting productivity and syntactic elaboration.These findings provide actionable guidance for educators and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of fostering both transcription fluency and cognitive regulation in transparent orthographies such as Spanish.

Source: Journal of Educational Psychology

DOI: 10.1037/edu0001041