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1-025 - Supporting Dual Language Learner’s Acquisition of English in Preschool Classrooms

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

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Vocabulary knowledge contributes to reading comprehension (Cain et al., 2015), and is a vulnerability for children from low-income homes and dual language learners (DLLs) (Chatterji, 2006; NCES, 2013). Vocabulary in preschool is predictive of later vocabulary for English monolinguals (EOs) (Storch & Whitehurst, 2002) and DLLs (Mancilla-Martinez & Lesaux, 2017). DLLs who enter school with some knowledge of English are at an advantage relative to peers who are beginning to learn English (Winsler et al., 2014). Head Start makes a modest contribution to children’s acquisition of English (Hammer et al., 2014), but few interventions have been demonstrated to foster substantial growth.

This symposium explores language learning in preschool classrooms and promising methods for teaching vocabulary. The first paper uses data from 72 classrooms (331 DLLs, 676, EOs) to examine peer effects. The authors consider language status, decoding and friendship patterns and find effects of DLL status and patterns of affiliation on growth in vocabulary and decoding. The second paper reports results of an intervention that successfully uses music, games and book reading to teach vocabulary. It finds that DLL status predicts learning gains controlling for self-regulation, parent education, home book reading, and English vocabulary (PPVT). The third paper explores learning gains from a book reading intervention. It compares high language DLLs (PPVT > 75), low language DLLs (PPVT < 75), and high language EOs (PPVT > 75). Prior language predicted growth gains, and EOs gained more than both DLL groups. Results will be discussed by a prominent language researcher.

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