Español: The Unrecognized Foundation of Literacy Learning for Latino Preschool Emergent Bilinguals

• In Event: 66.057 - Roundtable Session 27
  In Roundtable Session: 66.057-16 - Literacy and Biliteracy for Bilingual Students

Abstract

This study explores language-based literacy conceptualizations of five Mexican mothers of Head Start emergent bilingual children as well as the conceptualizations of the lead teacher who works in an Arizona-based program. In total, 18 interviews were conducted (3 per participant) and classroom observations were notated over a period of one academic year. Qualitative analyses of these data suggest that from the teacher’s perspective, English interactions are preferred and are the only form for evaluating at-home literacy, denying value to the language-based literacy learning that occurs in Spanish thus ignoring literacy skills in languages other than English. Furthermore, the mothers’ language goals for their children were not known by the teacher and therefore not integrated into the program.

Author

• Delis Cuellar, University of Wisconsin - Madison