Developing Literacy in English Language Learners: Findings From a Review of the Experimental Research

Explaining Individual Differences in Trajectories of Simultaneous Bilingual Development: Contributions of Child and Environmental Factors

Effects of child and environmental factors in moderating the course of bilingual development were investigated using longitudinal data, from age 2.5 to 5 years, on 126 U.S.-born children with early exposure to Spanish and English. Multilevel models of Spanish and English expressive vocabulary identified children's phonological memory ability as a significant predictor of both outcomes, while also replicating the effect of the relative amount of language exposure. In addition, nonverbal IQ was a significant predictor of English vocabulary; birth order and maternal education in Spanish were significant predictors of Spanish vocabulary. These findings expand our understanding of the sources of the wide heterogeneity in bilingual development and of the requirements that language acquisition makes of learners and their environments.

Theory and reported practice in EFL literacy instruction: EFL teachers' perceptions about classroom practices

Acquiring literacy in English as a foreign language (EFL) is important for language development. However, many students enter middle school without adequate EFL literacy skills. This may indicate a gap between EFL literacy instruction theory and the classroom practice that is occurring in elementary school classrooms. The aim of this study was to explore the components of EFL literacy instruction as perceived by teachers. The study investigated whether perceptions of classroom practices are theoretically based, thus shedding light on the gap between EFL literacy theory and practice. The participants were 167 EFL elementary school teachers, who submitted anonymous online questionnaires regarding their reported EFL teaching in year one, two, three, four, and five of elementary school. The research was based on the five pillars of literacy instruction for English as a first language (National Reading Panel, 2000) and additional EFL components (August & Shanahan, 2006). Results of this study showed that EFL teachers expressed views that may indicate a gap between teachers' practices and most cutting-edge research. The study concluded that providing EFL elementary school teachers with theoretical knowledge may lead to more productive literacy programs and may improve classroom practices.

Are Reading Interventions for English Language Learners Effective? A Meta-Analysis

Despite concerted efforts to improve the reading skills of English language learners (ELLs), it remains unclear if the interventions they have been receiving produce any positive results. Thus, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine how effective reading interventions are in improving ELLs' reading skills and what factors may influence their effectiveness. Twenty-six studies with reported outcomes for pretest and posttest were selected, and four moderators (group size, intensity of intervention, students' risk status, and type of intervention) were coded. The results of random-effects analyses showed that the reading interventions had a large effect on ELLs' reading accuracy ( d = 1.221) and reading fluency ( d = 0.802) and a moderate effect on reading comprehension ( d = 0.499). In addition, for real-word reading accuracy, intervention groups composed of more than five students were less effective than groups composed of two to five students, and longer intervention sessions were less effective than shorter ones. Overall, our findings suggest that reading interventions have positive effects on ELLs' reading skills, and they should not be delayed until these students have reached a certain level of oral English proficiency.

The Effect of e-Book Vocabulary Instruction on Spanish-English Speaking Children

PURPOSE

This study aimed to examine the effect of an intensive vocabulary intervention embedded in e-books on the vocabulary skills of young Spanish-English speaking English learners (ELs) from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds.

METHOD

Children (N = 288) in kindergarten and 1st grade were randomly assigned to treatment and read-only conditions. All children received e-book readings approximately 3 times a week for 10-20 weeks using the same books. Children in the treatment condition received e-books supplemented with vocabulary instruction that included scaffolding through explanations in Spanish, repetition in English, checks for understanding, and highlighted morphology.

RESULTS

There was a main effect of the intervention on expressive labeling (g = 0.38) and vocabulary on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (g = 0.14; Dunn & Dunn, 2007), with no significant moderation effect of initial Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test score. There was no significant difference between conditions on children's expressive definitions.

CONCLUSION

Findings substantiate the effectiveness of computer-implemented embedded vocabulary intervention for increasing ELs' vocabulary knowledge.

IMPLICATIONS

Computer-assisted vocabulary instruction with scaffolding through Spanish explanations, repetitions, and highlighted morphology is a promising approach to facilitate word learning for ELs in kindergarten and 1st grade.

Working Toward a More Literate World: Reading Intervention Commentary

This issue of New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development summarizes recent and ongoing work to establish evidence-based practices in early reading instruction and intervention and to improve access to and quality of literacy programs in low- and middle-income countries. The authors describe projects of varying sizes and goals, conducted in multiple sites in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. What is immediately striking is the commitment to documenting the efficacy and effectiveness of these programs using wherever possible the methodological standards of intervention science and education research. Often thousands of children and hundreds of schools have been included despite the challenges involved. Data from these projects have informed plans for future programming in these countries, and results from large scale-ups have provided insight into the most important factors necessary for scale-up and sustainability. In this article, I present, in the context of an overview of the sum of these articles, my own thoughts on their importance and implications.

Deaf Students as a Linguistic and Cultural Minority: Shifting Perspectives and Implications for Teaching and Learning

Deaf children have traditionally been perceived and educated as a special needs population. Over the past several decades, several factors have converged to enable a shift in perspective to one in which deaf children are viewed as a cultural and linguistic minority, and the education of deaf children is approached from a bilingual framework. In this article, we present the historical context in which such shifts in perspective have taken place and describe the linguistic, social, and cultural factors that shape a bilingual approach to deaf education. We further discuss the implications of a linguistic and cultural minority perspective of deaf children on language development, teacher preparation, and educational policy.