Language interactions and classroom discourse promote vocabulary and math skills in preschool classrooms serving DLLs

• In Event: 1-187 - Bilingual Education Program Models & Classroom Practices for DLLs: Processes and outcomes from preschool through elementary school

Integrative Statement

Language interaction in preschool classrooms are an important factor to consider when discussing early childhood classroom contexts and their role in the development of school readiness skills among DLLs. Research within early childhood tells us that preschool-aged children acquire large vocabularies in responsive classroom interaction contexts (Castle et al., 2016; Mortensen & Barnett, 2015; Snow, 2017). Classroom discourse is a vital component to quality education because it highly impacts the comprehensibility of concepts taught (Cazden, 2001; Hamre, 2014) especially in classrooms serving DLLs (Snow, 2017). Further understanding the specific effects that classroom interactions have on DLL children’s school readiness development at preschool is essential in preparing this at-risk population for school success.

Eight preschool classrooms in an urban Head Start program were selected to participate based on child variables including race/ ethnicity of students served and percentage of DLLs served (i.e., 50%-80% Latino DLLs). Nine DLL children from each classroom were randomly selected (N= 72; 51% Female; M age = 4.49) to participate. We used the Language Interaction Snapshot (LISn; Atkins-Burnett, Sprachman, & Caspe, 2010), a time-sampling measure in which an observer codes language interactions in the classroom, to measure language interactions within multiple classroom contexts (e.g., whole group, free choice/ centers, meals, routines, small groups). Cross tab analysis comparing amount of language, type of teacher talk (i.e., giving directions, providing information, requesting information), language by context, and sustained conversations were originally conducted to understand language interactions in the classroom. Center time was found to be an optimal time for rich language interactions.

Child level outcomes including Time 3 (end of preschool) VPK assessment scores for vocabulary, print knowledge, and math were also collected from the programs. Hierarchical multiple regressions, controlling for Time 1 scores, were run to determine whether language interactions were significantly related to school readiness skills at the end of pre-k (although students were nested in classrooms we determined clustering wasn’t necessary after evaluating the ICCs). There was a positive significant relationship between the percentage of times teachers requested information (e.g., asked questions, asked children to provide a label, asked children to explain how something works) and students’ math scores (β=1.150, t=2.925, p<.01) along with a negative significant relationship between providing information and math scores (β=-1.074, t=-2.588, p<.05). Additionally, there was a significant positive relationship between number of sustained conversations (i.e., 5 back and forth utterances on the same topic between two speakers) recorded between the teacher and students within the classroom and the students’ vocabulary scores (β=.243, t=2.098, p<.05) and math scores (β=.293, t=3.162, p<.01) at the end of pre-k. These findings indicate that engaging DLL students in discourse either through asking questions or sustained conversations during the preschool day have a positive effect on children’s English vocabulary and math skills, whereas direct instruction has a negative effect on math skills. These findings add to the literature on classroom discourse and student engagement as essential aspects of quality education in early childhood, extending the findings to classrooms serving majority DLL children.

Authors

• Lisa Lopez, University of South Florida
  Presenting Author

• Rica Ramirez, University of Texas at San Antonio
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer Barreto, University of South Florida
  Non-Presenting Author

• Deborah Christie, University of South Florida
  Non-Presenting Author