Examining language and early numeracy skills in young Latino dual language learners

Abstract

This study examined the association of oral language, including expressive vocabulary and grammar comprehension, with early numeracy skills within and across languages in Spanish–English speaking Latino children who are dual language learners (DLLs) at the beginning of preschool. Three hundred and forty-two typically developing Spanish–English speaking DLLs from urban preschool centers serving low-income families participated in this multisite study. Oral language and early numeracy skills were assessed in both Spanish and English at the beginning of the preschool year using standardized assessments. Step-wise regressions using baseline cross-sectional data were completed to determine the association of language skills in Spanish and English with early numeracy skills both within and across languages. Results revealed that a large percentage of the variance in the early numeracy skills of these Latino DLL preschoolers was explained by same language variables including expressive vocabulary and grammar comprehension. These findings suggest a strong association of oral language abilities and early numeracy skills within the same language in Latino Preschool DLLs at the beginning of preschool.