Abstract
This article reports on a two-year study of the receptive language development of forty-five native Spanish speaking preschool children who were placed by parent request in three different program models—English with Spanish support, Transitional Bilingual (TBE) and Dual Language—with varying exposure to English and Spanish instruction. Outcomes on measures of receptive vocabulary skills in both English and Spanish were examined. Professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals is also described. Results indicate that all programs show significant learning effects, providing further support for the value of quality preschool instruction for bilingual learners and validate the practice of providing program choice to families. All programs showed significant gains in English and none suffered significant losses in Spanish. However, analysis at the individual student level reveals a bi-modal distribution of gains in each program. The results suggest the need for further inquiry into: 1) the optimal level of native language support children need based on a language profile taking first and second language competence into consideration; 2) on-going use of data for instructional design; and 3) the value of differentiated, high quality professional development based on scientifically-based reading research.
Highlights
Reading First (ERF) is a competitive grant initiative sponsored by the Department of Education under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act
After describing the characteristics of the three program models and outlining the professional development that all staff received, we present matched scores on pre/post Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test IV (PPVT) and Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes Peabody (TVIP) to represent gains in receptive vocabulary in both English and Spanish
Families have different contexts with respect to L1 language usage and to English acquisition, as well as different long term goals related to bilingualism
Summary
The ERF initiative supports scientifically-based reading research (SBRR) in preschool practice and does not privilege a particular program model, curriculum, or staff development scheme. Due to differing long-term program goals, short-term outcomes vary and often cause confusion They are not under the auspices of NCLB, preschool programs are keenly aware of the challenge of meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP), as well as the pressure to send students to kindergarten ready to access the grade-level core curriculum. According to Wright (2010), Title III (Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students) and Title I (Improving the Achievement of the Economically Disadvantaged) are the major federal programs that impact ELLs upon entering the public schools. Professional development, and student placement are left for the local schools to determine
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