Bi-directional Effects Between Language and Behavior for Spanish-English Dual Language Learning Children in Head Start

• In Event: Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Topic - Language, Communication

Abstract

Research indicates both language and social skills are important contributors to a child’s future academic success (Qi, van Horn, Selig, & Kaiser, 2019). Research indicates there is an inverse relation between language and behavior problems; as language skills increase, behavior problems decrease (van Daal, Verhoeven & van Balkon, 2007). Without adequate language skills, children may experience difficulty following teachers’ directions and interacting with peers (Qi, Kaiser, & Milan, 2006). Additionally, children who are frequently disruptive or aggressive towards their peers are less likely to successfully engage in peer interactions, or other classroom activities, that promote language learning (Qi et al., 2006).
Assessments of English-Spanish dual language learning (DLL) children often indicates that many young DLL children enter and exit classrooms with language scores approaching two or more standard deviations below normative standards (Malone et al., 2013). Over 25% of families enrolled in Head Start programs report a language other than English as their primary home language (Office of Head Start, 2014). Past research has documented the language disparities between high income families and those living in poverty (Hart & Risley, 1995). Taken together, this indicates that children from low-income Spanish-speaking homes are at a compounded disadvantage; entering classrooms with an overall smaller vocabulary with some, or all of their vocabulary in a language different than the dominant language of the classroom.
The purpose of the current study was to examine the longitudinal, bidirectional relations between receptive and expressive Spanish and English language and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in a sample of 97 preschool children from Spanish-speaking, low-income homes, who were enrolled in the Head Start program. Eight total cross-lagged path models were conducted; four for each language. Models tested the autoregressive and cross-lagged paths between two dimensions of language (expressive and receptive) and behavior problems (internalizing and externalizing) over the preschool year.
Previous studies report a bidirectional relation between expressive language and behavior problems (Bichay-Awadalla et al., 2019; Girard et al., 2016). However, results from this study did not support a bidirectional relation between internalizing behavior and expressive Spanish or English. The major finding of this study was that there was a unidirectional relation between early Spanish, but not English, vocabulary and later internalizing behavior problems. These findings highlight the critical importance of the home language for children who are DLLs. This study indicates that it may be important to consider how a child’s ability to process their home language may ultimately influence classroom interactions. It is likely that a child who struggles with receptive language processing in their first language may also experience more difficulties understanding peers and teachers. This may lead to fewer positive interactions, even with those who do speak their home language, and an increase in anxiety, worry, withdrawal, and inhibited classroom behavior much the same as has been reported in research with monolingual children (Bornstein et al., 2013; Olsen, 1997). This appears to be true for Spanish-speaking children in English immersion classrooms, thus emphasizing the importance of ensuring adequate classroom support for home languages.

Authors

• Audrey Constance Juhasz, Utah State University
  Presenting Author

• Lisa Boyce, Utah State University
  Non-Presenting Author