Prof. Paola Bonifacci, University of Bologna

Literacy and math profiles in heritage bilingual children and the role of socio-economic status
Abstract: Bilingualism is a complex, dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon, and different sources of individual differences can intervene in developmental trajectories (Paradis, 2023), although relatively minor evidence has been gathered on the proximal and distal factors interacting with the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills in bilinguals. This presentation will illustrate some studies carried out in the Italian context on heritage bilinguals, i.e. children exposed in the family context to a language other than Italian and for whom Italian is the language of schooling. Some of the studies present a comparison between Heritage bilinguals and monolinguals in terms of different sub-skills in literacy and numeracy and analyse their predictors. The different roles of bilingualism and socio-economic level in the analysis of literacy and psychological well-being are then examined. In particular, the results of a study based on a comparison of bilinguals and monolinguals with and without specific learning disorders and the associated role of socio-economic status, carried out in collaboration with a network of clinical centres in the health system, are presented. The discussion focuses on the implications for assessment in clinical and educational contexts.