Maya indigenous children’s early literacy growth in Yucatec Maya and Spanish

This study provides an inquiry regarding early literacy growth of Maya Indigenous children in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. We examined preschool-aged children’s growth in their alphabet and print-concept knowledge in both Yucatec Maya and Spanish, as well as the role of home language on their early literacy growth. A total of 386 Maya Indigenous children were assessed twice during Club de Lectura SOLYLUNA, a bilingual early literacy program. Children exhibited significant growth in Spanish alphabet and print-concept knowledge, but small growth in alphabet knowledge and no growth in print-concept knowledge in Yucatec Maya. Change in alphabet knowledge in Spanish was linked to that in Yucatec Maya. Results also highlight the importance of home bilingual and indigenous language use in children’s early literacy development in Yucatec Maya. Children in bilingual and Yucatec Maya homes were more likely to improve in Yucatec Maya alphabet and print-concept knowledge compared to those in Spanish-speaking homes. Our findings provide insights into how children develop early literacy skills across indigenous and societal languages.