The effects of methylphenidate (MPH), atomoxetine (ATMX), and/or physical exercise (EX) on orienting behavior and social interaction were examined in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR), a commonly used animal model of (ADHD). During the orienting procedure, rats received repeated presentations of a non-reinforced visual stimulus. As observed previously, orienting behavior (rearing up on the hind legs) habituated across trials in normo-active control rats (Wistars) but not in SHRs, suggesting that SHRs have difficulty ignoring irrelevant behavioral stimuli. Treatment with MPH (0.125 mg/kg), ATMX (0.125 mg/kg), or EX (3 weeks of access to a running wheel), alone or in combination, reduced rearing behavior in SHRs to the level observed in the Wistar control group. Similarly, drug treatment and/or EX reduced the number of social interactions exhibited by SHRs, while having no effects on locomotor activity. Importantly, EX was just as effective as MPH or ATMX in reducing orienting behavior and social interaction. In contrast to the SHRs, neither MPH nor ATMX affected orienting or social behavior in Wistar rats. Together, these findings support the growing literature that EX may be useful as an adjunctive or replacement therapy in ADHD.

This study investigates the cross‐linguistic transfer of literacy skills in Spanish–English, Chinese–English bilingual, and English monolingual children (N = 283, 5–10 years). Research question 1 examines English literacy and asks how phonological and morpho‐semantic skills contribute to word reading as a function of children's language background. Structural equation modeling revealed contrasting bilingual effects: compared to English monolinguals, Spanish–English bilinguals relied more on phonological awareness in word reading, whereas Chinese–English bilinguals relied more on lexical knowledge. Research question 2 examines relations between bilinguals’ heritage language proficiency and English literacy. Results revealed direct and indirect effects of heritage language meta‐linguistic skills on English word reading. The study yields implications for reading theories and instructional practices in optimizing literacy in linguistically diverse children.

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Conflict of interest disclosure:We have no known conflict of interest to disclose. BILINGUAL BRAIN BASIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSING 2Research Highlights -This study investigates the effects of early bilingualism on children's neural architecture for word processing by comparing monolinguals and bilinguals with a lexical morphology task -Language-specific transfer effects revealed principled functional activation differences between Chinese-English bilinguals, Spanish-English bilinguals, and English monolinguals -Common to both bilingual groups, home language proficiency was positively associated with left STG activation when processing English words that have morphological structures most distinct from their home language -Successful dual first-language acquisition is likely made possible by automating linguistically shared processes and heightened sensitivity to dissimilar processes BILINGUAL BRAIN BASIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSING

Words’ morphemic structure and their orthographic representations vary across languages. How do bilingual experiences with structurally distinct languages influence children's morphological processes for word reading? Focusing on English literacy in monolinguals and bilinguals (N = 350, ages 5–9), we first revealed unique contributions of derivational (friend-li-est) and compound (girl-friend) morphology to early word reading. We then examined mechanisms of bilingual transfer in matched samples of Spanish–English and Chinese–English dual first language learners. Results revealed a principled cross-linguistic interaction between language group (Spanish vs. Chinese bilinguals) and type of morphological awareness. Specifically, bilinguals’ proficiency with the type of morphology that was less characteristic of their home language explained greater variance in their English literacy. These findings showcase the powerful effects of bilingualism on word reading processes in children who have similar reading proficiency but different language experiences, thereby advancing theoretical perspectives on literacy across diverse learners.

Children who speak one language at home and a different language at school may be at higher risk of falling behind in their academic achievement when schooling is disrupted. The present study examined the effects of COVID-19-related school disruptions on English language and literacy development among monolingual and bilingual children in the US. All children attended English-only schools that implemented varied forms of virtual and hybrid schooling during the pandemic. Pre-COVID-19 and during-COVID-19 examinations were conducted with 237 children ( M ( SD ) age = 7.78 (1.54) at Time 1) from relatively high SES homes, including 95 monolinguals, 75 Spanish–English and 67 Chinese–English bilinguals. The findings revealed different impacts of COVID-19 school disruptions on the present bilingual and monolingual participants. Specifically, between Time 1 and Time 2, monolingual children made age-appropriate improvements in all literacy measurements. Relative to monolinguals, both bilingual groups showed greater gains in vocabulary but lower gains in reading comprehension. Moreover, across groups, children’s independent reading practices during COVID-19 were positively associated with children’s literacy growth during the pandemic-related schooling disruptions. Taken together, these findings inform theoretical perspectives on learning to read in linguistically diverse children experiencing COVID-19-related schooling disruptions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11145-022-10388-x.

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