Latino Dual Language Learners Research Articles

A cross-cultural perspective of narrative retells in kindergarten children

ABSTRACT An understanding of cross-cultural differences in narratives, particularly in children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, can help clinicians and other professionals distinguish narrative differences from impaired narratives. This study describes similarities and differences in micro-and-macrostructural components in the narrative retells of 32 typically developing Latino dual language learners and Caucasian kindergarteners. A multivariate analysis of covariance suggests that patterns of narrative use of microstructural components were comparable across groups. Group differences in the use of some macrostructural components like character development and mental states were observed. These preliminary findings suggest that some aspects of the macrostructure of narrative language in children may be more susceptible to cultural differences than microstructure ones.

Literacy Measures That Leverage the Strengths of Spanish-Speaking Latino Kindergarteners

Researchers largely rely on child language and literacy measures to determine the effectiveness of interventions for Latino dual language learners. However, some of these measures may miss certain strengths of these students. This study identified two unstandardized language and literacy tasks (IDELA food and animal vocabulary and personal narratives) that might leverage some eco-cultural assets of Latino children; it also examined concurrent associations between these tasks and standardized language and literacy tests. Participants were 237 Latino kindergarteners ( M age = 67.22 months, SD = 4.12; 51% female). Positive associations were found between standardized tests and the IDELA food and animal vocabulary ( β = 0.92–1.40; large magnitude) and personal narrative tasks ( β = 0.28–0.46; medium magnitude), controlling for important covariates, including the language of administration of assessment. Further research might use these tasks as complementary assessments to gauge the impact of interventions on the language and literacy skills of Latino dual-language learners in kindergarten.

The Bilingual Language Diversity of Latino Preschoolers: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Purpose This study describes the language diversity (the within-group variability in dual-language skills) of a sample of Latino dual-language learners (preschoolers, 3-5 years of age) and how language diversity is related to home and classroom factors. Method A sample of 161 caregivers and their preschoolers participated in this study. Caregivers and a sample of 19 teachers reported on demographic factors and home and classroom language environments. Children were assessed in various domains of both Spanish and English to evaluate their language proficiency skills in each language. Latent profile analysis was used to generate profiles of the diversity of bilingual skills of young dual-language learners. Results Four profiles of dual-language skills emerged, characterized by balanced versus uneven skills and phonology and morphosyntax domains. The domains within each language served as markers to distinguish the profiles from one another, specifically morphosyntax and phonology. The results underscore the linguistic heterogeneity of preschool Latino dual-language learners. Conclusions Findings reflect the importance of highlighting the strengths of language diversity of preschool Latino dual-language learners instead of employing a monolithic, "one-size-fits-all" approach when considering how to best support them. Furthermore, the home environment plays an important role in supporting Spanish language skills, especially if such support is not necessarily provided at school.

Examining heterogeneity among Latino dual language learners' school readiness profiles of English and Spanish at the end of Head Start

Emerging research shows there is substantial heterogeneity in the English and Spanish language and literacy proficiencies of dual language learners (DLLs) in U.S. preschools. This work is extended in this paper by examining within-group variability in 320 Spanish-English speaking DLLs' cognitive, linguistic, literacy, and mathematics skills at the end of prekindergarten (M = 5.22 years old). Using latent profile analysis (a type of mixture modeling), four profiles of DLLs were identified. Most DLLs were classified as English Dominant, followed by Balanced Average, Spanish Dominant, and Balanced Low, respectively. In general, the Balanced Average profile outperformed the other profiles in English and Spanish, and their norm-referenced standard scores provide additional evidence that bilingual development is not associated with educational risk.

Beyond the written word: The role of text on preschool teachers’ book sharing styles

Teachers’ sharing of picture books is a quintessential activity in early childhood classrooms, and has been found to be predictive of children’s language and literacy skill development. Although most research, to date, has focused on the manner in which preschool teachers share text-based books with their students, recent work has recommended that teachers include wordless books as part of their classroom book sharing routines. Yet, little is known about how the absence of text might influence teachers’ discourse styles. The present study, thus, explored the discourse styles used by preschool teachers of Latino dual-language learners when sharing both text-based and wordless picture books with their class. Results showed that, while there were common features across both book types, when sharing wordless books teachers tended to adopt a more co-constructive style, by asking questions and supporting children’s participation in the sharing of the story. At the same time, they were more likely to elicit predictions and analyses from the children. The findings highlight the importance of including wordless books in preschool classroom book sharing interactions, especially in classrooms serving dual-language learners.

Assessing Classroom Quality for Latino Dual Language Learners in Head Start: DLL-Specific and General Teacher-Child Interaction Perspectives

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: The increase in young Latino Dual Language Learners (DLLs) attending early care and education (ECE) programs has led to a focus on assessing classroom quality for DLLs, to evaluate the quality and impact of their early educational experiences. Experts have advocated for the use of multiple classroom observation tools (i.e., DLL-specific and general quality) to comprehensively understand ECE contexts for young DLLs. This study used two classroom quality tools to examine 37 Head Start classrooms serving Spanish and English-speaking DLLs, from both a DLL-specific and general teacher-child interaction quality perspective. Children (N = 411) were assessed in the fall and spring on language, cognitive, and academic domains. Classroom observations were conducted in the winter to measure DLL-specific quality and general teacher-child interaction quality, respectively. Results revealed low to moderate correlations between the two observation measures. Additionally, findings from both tools demonstrated a range of associations with children’s outcomes, with the Supports for Home Language domain (measured by the DLL-specific tool) demonstrating the most consistent relationships with child outcomes across domains. Practice or Policy: Findings are discussed in the context of current ECE research to support young DLLs and provide additional evidence to describe the impact of early educational experiences on young Latino DLLs.

A View of the Lexical-Grammatical Link in Young Latinos With Specific Language Impairment Using Language-Specific and Conceptual Measures.

Purpose This study investigated the nature of the association of lexical-grammatical abilities within and across languages in Latino dual language learners (DLLs) with specific language impairment (SLI) using language-specific and bilingual measures. Method Seventy-four Spanish/English-speaking preschoolers with SLI from preschools serving low-income households participated in the study. Participants had stronger skills in Spanish (first language [L1]) and were in the initial stages of learning English (second language [L2]). The children's lexical, semantic, and grammar abilities were assessed using normative and researcher-developed tools in English and Spanish. Hierarchical linear regressions of cross-sectional data were conducted using measures of sentence repetition tasks, language-specific vocabulary, and conceptual bilingual lexical and semantic abilities in Spanish and English. Results Results indicate that language-specific vocabulary abilities support the development of grammar in L1 and L2 in this population. L1 vocabulary also contributes to L2 grammar above and beyond the contribution of L2 vocabulary skills. However, the cross-linguistic association between vocabulary in L2 and grammar skills in the stronger or more proficient language (L1) is not observed. In addition, conceptual vocabulary significantly supported grammar in L2, whereas bilingual semantic skills supported L1 grammar. Conclusions Our findings reveal that the same language-specific vocabulary abilities drive grammar development in L1 and L2 in DLLs with SLI. In the early stages of L2 acquisition, vocabulary skills in L1 also seem to contribute to grammar skills in L2 in this population. Thus, it is critical to support vocabulary development in both L1 and L2 in DLLs with SLI, particularly in the beginning stages of L2 acquisition. Clinical and educational implications are discussed.

Similarities and differences in the lexical-grammatical relation of young dual language learners with and without specific language impairment

ABSTRACT This study examines the lexical-grammatical relation within and across in preschool Latino dual language learners (DLLs) with and without specific language impairment (SLI) using language-specific vocabulary and conceptual lexical-semantic skills. The participants were sixty-one typically developing (TD) Spanish-English speaking DLLs and seventy-four DLLs with SLI from low-income households. Standardized and researcher developed assessment tools were used to measure vocabulary, semantics, and grammar in both Spanish and English. Cross-sectional data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regressions to determine the nature of the lexical-grammatical association within and across languages. The study found significant within-language relations between measures of vocabulary and grammar for both groups. Conceptual vocabulary was a significant predictor for English grammar in both groups. For the SLI group only, both English and Spanish vocabulary scores significantly predicted English grammar and bilingual semantics scores predicted Spanish grammar. These findings underscore the role of language-specific vocabulary on grammatical development and suggest the presence of bilingual bootstrapping in DLLs. However, the degree and nature of cross-linguistic associations vary by language ability and language proficiency. The role of age and nonverbal cognition and clinical implications are also discussed.

Using Language-Specific and Bilingual Measures to Explore Lexical–Grammatical Links in Young Latino Dual-Language Learners

This study examined the nature of the relation between language-specific vocabulary and conceptual lexical-semantic skills with grammatical abilities within and across languages in preschool Latino dual language learners (DLLs). Sixty-one typically developing, Spanish-English speaking DLLs from preschools serving low-income families participated in the study. Lexical, semantic, and grammar skills were assessed toward the end of the fall in both Spanish and English using normative and researcher-developed assessment instruments. Hierarchical linear regressions using baseline cross-sectional data were completed to determine the association of language-specific vocabulary and bilingual lexical and semantic abilities to grammatical skills measured by sentence repetition tasks in Spanish and English both within and across languages. Results from the study revealed that a considerable percentage of the variance in the grammatical ability of these Latino DLL preschoolers in both Spanish and English was explained by lexical variables in the same language (54% in English and 16% in Spanish). In the strong language (Spanish), bilingual semantic skills also played a role, explaining an additional 8% of the variance. Conceptual vocabulary was a significant predictor of English grammar in the model that excluded the language-specific vocabulary measures. These findings suggest that grammatical skills in the Latino preschoolers examined in the study are strongly related to language-specific measures of vocabulary. In contrast, no evidence supporting the relation between vocabulary and grammar skills across languages was observed. Findings from this study provide insight into the impact of bilingual lexical-semantic knowledge on the grammatical skills of dual-language preschool children developing language abilities in their 2 languages. Clinical implications are also discussed.

The Impact of Individual Differences on a Bilingual Vocabulary Approach for Latino Preschoolers.

The purpose of this study was twofold: First, we replicated in a new sample our previous findings that a culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) bilingual approach for English vocabulary instruction for preschool Latino dual language learners was effective. Subsequently, we investigated whether the positive effect of CLR instruction varies as a function of individual child characteristics, including baseline vocabulary levels and gender. Using a randomized pretest-posttest follow-up group design, we first replicated our previous study (N = 42) with a new sample by randomly assigning 35 Spanish-speaking Latino preschoolers to a CLR bilingual group or an English-only group. The preschoolers received small-group evidence-informed shared readings targeting 30 English words 3 times a week for 5 weeks in their preschools. Vocabulary outcomes were measured using both standardized and researcher-developed measures. We subsequently conducted further studies with the combined sample size of 77 children to examine the variability in intervention effects related to child gender and baseline vocabulary levels. The direct replication study confirmed findings of our earlier work suggesting that the CLR bilingual approach promoted greater gains in L1 and L2 vocabulary than in an English-only approach. The extension studies revealed that the effect of the CLR bilingual vocabulary approach on English and Spanish vocabulary outcomes was not impacted by gender or vocabulary status at baseline. This study provides additional evidence of the benefits of strategically combining L1 and L2 for vocabulary instruction over an English-only approach. Our findings also suggest that preschool Latino dual language learners can benefit from a bilingual vocabulary instructional approach regardless of gender or baseline vocabulary levels in L1.

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

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.

Language and literacy instruction in preschool classes that serve Latino dual language learners

The present investigation builds off prior empirical work to describe the quality of the language and literacy instruction Latino dual language learning (DLL) children receive in Head Start. Specifically, we measured the frequency and duration of language and literacy lessons in classes that enrolled large numbers of Latino DLLs. We also investigated children’s opportunities to participate in high-quality language and literacy experiences as a part of their everyday instructional experience. In total we observed 398 lessons in 20 classes. Results revealed (a) that the frequency and duration of instruction was variable, with some children enrolled in classes that implemented language- and literacy-based lessons for 23min (10%) of the 4-h day and others in classes that fit in up to 82min (34%) of instruction per day; (b) when language and literacy instruction occurred in these classes, it was most frequently delivered in a whole group and featured an instructional style that was characterized by the teacher directing the children to answer basic questions with a one- or two-word response; and (c) that high-quality instruction, which we operationalized as instruction that promoted language development, was predicted by characteristic features of the lessons—not features of the classroom. These results provide information that is useful to inform the design of policy- and practice-based interventions that might improve the characteristics of the language and literacy environments that serve Latino DLL children.

A cultural communities approach to understanding Head Start teachers’ beliefs about language use with dual language learners: Implications for practice

The school-readiness gap for Latino dual language learners in the United States has been well documented, despite a strong research base highlighting effective strategies and practices for supporting their academic success. However, current educational practices reflect the hegemonic discourse that, because the United States is an English-speaking country, English should be the language of instruction. Additionally, educational research during the past decade has been characterized by an emphasis on the use of rigorous experimental designs that are highly generalizable and fail to take into consideration the role of teacher beliefs on classroom practices. This study used a cultural communities lens to explore the beliefs about classroom language use of two Head Start teachers in order to gain insight into how teacher beliefs influence classroom practices, particularly the language of instruction. Analysis of teacher interviews and assessments of classroom language use indicated that teachers had very different beliefs about language use, despite their coming from very similar ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and that these beliefs were translated into classroom practice. Teacher beliefs were grounded in teachers’ experiences as members of cultural communities, and the findings highlight the need to attend to within-group variability as well as classroom processes that influence teaching and learning.

Preschool language interventions for latino dual language learners with language disorders: what, in what language, and how.

About a quarter of young children in the United States are dual language learners. The large majority are Latino children who are exposed to Spanish in their homes. The language needs of Latino dual language preschoolers are different from the needs of monolingual English-speaking children. As a group, they are likely to live in environments that put them at risk of delays in language development. This situation is direr for dual language preschoolers with language impairment. Recent findings from studies on interventions for Spanish-English preschoolers with language impairment suggest that a bilingual approach does not delay English vocabulary and oral language learning and promotes Spanish maintenance. Targets and strategies for different language domains are described. The effects of pullout versus push-in interventions for this population are preliminarily explored.

A culturally and linguistically responsive vocabulary approach for young Latino dual language learners.

This study examined the role of the language of vocabulary instruction in promoting English vocabulary in preschool Latino dual language learners (DLLs). The authors compared the effectiveness of delivering a single evidence-informed vocabulary approach using English as the language of vocabulary instruction (English culturally responsive [ECR]) versus using a bilingual modality that strategically combined Spanish and English (culturally and linguistically responsive [CLR]). Forty-two DLL Spanish-speaking preschoolers were randomly assigned to the ECR group (n=22) or CLR group (n=20). Thirty English words were presented during small-group shared readings in their preschools 3 times a week for 5 weeks. Multilevel models were used to examine group differences in postinstruction scores on 2 Spanish and 2 English vocabulary assessments at instruction end and follow-up. Children receiving instruction in the CLR bilingual modality had significantly higher posttest scores (than those receiving the ECR English-only instruction) on Spanish and English vocabulary assessments at instruction end and on the Spanish vocabulary assessment at follow-up, even after controlling for preinstruction scores. The results provide additional evidence of the benefits of strategically combining the first and second language to promote English and Spanish vocabulary development in this population. Future directions for research and clinical applications are discussed.

Is Overall Oral English Ability Related to Young Latinos' English Reading Growth?

The present study investigated whether young Latino dual-language learners' 2-year English reading growth varied over time according to their initial overall oral English ability. We followed 41 Latino children for 2 years. We tested overall oral English at the beginning of the study and administered multiple curriculum-based reading assessments at the beginning, middle, and end of each of the 2 years. The main conclusions were as follows: (a) The pattern of Instructional Reading Level growth and sound- and word-level subprocesses varied according to Overall Oral English ability. However, the impact of oral English was principally for students who had extremely low initial oral English. (b) There was no differential pattern in Comprehension or Fluency growth according to initial Overall Oral English.

Bilingual education for all: Latino dual language learners with language disabilities

There has been a growing concern about how best to address the needs of dual language learners with language impairments. Most dual language programmes have been evaluated with children with typical language development (TLD) and as a result, very little is known about the effect of these programmes on children with language disabilities. The Vocabulary, Oral Language and Academic Readiness (VOLAR) programme was designed specifically for preschool dual language learners with language impairment. In the last five years, we have completed several federally funded projects aimed at evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of VOLAR testing more than 300 children over time. In the current study, we examined the effect of VOLAR when implemented by teachers within the preschool curriculum. Participants were 40 children receiving the programme and 34 children receiving the ‘business as usual’ preschool curriculum (control group). The comparisons were based on spontaneous language measures obtained at baseline and at two follow-up time points after the programme ended over a period of one year. The results replicated previous research, showing that the VOLAR programme induced significantly more gains than the control curriculum. The children with language impairment also showed greater improvement compared to their peers in the control group. The positive and promising effects on the language skills of children with language impairment support the use of a dual language intervention model with these students.

An examination of language input and vocabulary development of young Latino dual language learners living in poverty

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the language status of 120 young, Latino dual language learners living in poverty in the United States. Maternal language input and home language and literacy environments were examined with regard to language development at 24 and 36 months. Results suggested that even when combining English and Spanish language knowledge scores, the children in this sample still performed below, albeit closer to, age level. The home language and literacy environments were significantly related to and predicted child language status at 24 and 36 months. The article discusses the implications of these findings with regard to the focus of early intervention efforts.

Effects of a professional development program on classroom practices and outcomes for Latino dual language learners

Abstract A randomized, controlled study was conducted to assess the effects of the Nuestros Ninos professional development program on classroom practices and child outcomes related to language development and early literacy skills in both English and Spanish. Fifty-five teachers and 193 Latino dual language learners (DLLs) enrolled in the North Carolina More at Four Pre-Kindergarten Program participated in the study. The content of the professional development program consisted of research-based instructional practices designed to complement the core curriculum and scaffold learning for DLLs, and the format included professional development institutes, individualized consultation, and community of practice meetings. The results showed that the intervention led to measurable improvements in both the overall quality of teachers’ language and literacy practices as well as those specific to working with Latino DLLs, and greater gains in children's phonological awareness skills in their primary language.