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Child Language and Cognitive Characteristics Associated with Vocabulary Learning in a Preschool Language Intervention

Thu, March 21, 9:30 to 11:00am, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 3, Room 332

Integrative Statement

The importance of early vocabulary knowledge in later reading comprehension is well documented as are the disadvantages faced by children from low-income homes and homes where English is not the native language (Chatterji, 2006; Duncan et al., 2007; Mancilla-Martinez & Lesaux, 2017). These children enter formal schooling with varied language and cognitive characteristics that may impact their word learning. The remarkable long-term stability in relative levels of vocabulary (Dickinson & McCabe, 2001; Storch & Whitehurst, 2002) suggests that intervention to support development should occur in the early childhood years. DLLs enter pre-k behind native speakers in English and typically display incrementally stronger growth as a result of attending center-based programs, but little is known about their response to targeted efforts to build English vocabulary. We seek to understand factors that differentially affect the ability of DLL’s vocabulary learning of words when they are taught using different methods (music, book reading, games). We examine factors that moderate learning gains to determine if there are methods that are especially effective with this group.
Teachers taught four-year-old children words using picture cards and child-friendly definitions through book reading, music, large group games, and small group games. To assess vocabulary learning, we pre- and post-tested children’s knowledge of the taught words at the end of each instructional unit using a receptive and expressive measure. We also administered Peg Tapping (Diamond & Taylor, 1996) to assess self-regulation, PPVT-4 for general English vocabulary, and a parent survey to identify the home language.
Children (n = 78) in six preschool classrooms were taught target words during book reading and play-based activities, of whom 28 families reported speaking a language other than English in the home. Multilevel regression models were conducted with three-levels of nesting: words taught during units of instruction repeated within children who were nested within teacher. Models were run for the receptive and expressive tasks to analyze how children’s language and cognitive characteristics affected their growth in word knowledge as a result of the book reading and play-based activities. Children displayed significant growth in receptive and expressive knowledge of taught words. As shown in Table 1, learning gains were not related to reported home language, but prior vocabulary and self-regulation were strong moderators of children’s word learning for some of the instructional methods. Moderation effects for the PPVT and self-regulation were most evident for book reading, the context typically used to teach vocabulary, whereas they were less prominent for other activities.
The findings from this study suggest that home language did not significantly impact preschool children’s acquisition of new word meanings, but that prior language and self-regulation were important to varying degrees across activities. We will explore this variability and consider implications for classroom vocabulary instruction. Implications of the intervention for preschool settings that serve linguistically diverse populations will also be discussed, with attention to the benefits of teaching vocabulary in book reading and play-based activities.

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