Derisive attitudes towards Spanish in the United States threaten its survival. Four issues vital to the preservation of Spanish in the United States are examined: the arbitrary nature of linguistic prejudice, the linguistic validity of all dialects, the overwhelming linguistic overlap between nonstandard and standard dialects of Spanish, and the…

Storybook reading research with monolingual families suggests that adult strategies used during shared reading provide greater opportunities for children's verbal participation while facilitating their language and literacy skills. Research of this type with linguistic minority children is relatively uncommon. In the present study, 16 primarily…

This paper explores three issues in the literacy acquisition of Latino students, including common problems faced by second-language readers of English; explicit strategies for transfer of first-language strengths to second-language literacy; and the development of language-specific strategies. (46 references) (JL)

Examined classroom processes taking place during reading instruction in two settings: (1) schools with a large Hispanic Limited-English-proficient student population, and (2) inner-city schools where the student population is more ethnically diverse. Results indicated that the type of reading instruction taking place in both types of schools is…

Two teaching methods were used to enhance the use of cognitive reading strategies among 89 Hispanic bilingual students in grades 3 through 5. Although there were differences in the use of cognitive reading strategies by grade and treatment group, instruction in cognitive strategy use decreased the use of weak reading strategies and was more…

This paper presents the voices of 16 Latino immigrant parents whose children were upper elementary students in a bilingual education class in the southwestern United States. In interviews that focused on their children's language learning and usage, the parents spoke of a commitment to a better life for their children. All believed that English…

Interviews with an urban Los Angeles first-grade teacher and observations of her class illustrate how social and cultural issues are brought into the classroom, creating an environment in which students learn to "read the world," acquiring social and cultural literacy as well as the more commonly perceived personal literacy. When…

A survey examined knowledge of the bilingual education program at a Houston (Texas) kindergarten among 19 Hispanic American parents. Few parents were familiar with the bilingual education practices and policies at their children's school, and their expectations for English-language instruction varied widely from what was actually happening in the…

Ten Hispanic families in which bilingual parents had chosen to maintain the use of Spanish in the home were interviewed. Explicit questions about rationales for this choice elicited answers related to instrumental benefits of bilingualism, but analyses of interviews as life stories revealed the necessity of repeated reaffirmation of this…

Examines growth of metropolitan Miami's Spanish-language economy and the economic and cultural advantages of a multilingual workforce. Discusses Hispanic and Latin American businesses, Spanish-language media, statewide and local Spanish instructional programs, Dade County census data on language use and educational attainment, a Miami business…

A 4-year science education project in a rural southern California elementary school involved kit- and inquiry-based science instruction, including the use of science notebooks. Evaluations of fourth- and sixth-grade students in the program for 0-4 years found that English-learners with longer program participation had increased achievement scores…

A survey of 50 Hispanic and non-Hispanic parents of children with learning disabilities examined treatment of the two groups of parents in the special education process, parents' involvement in the process, and how parental treatment compared to the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA). Strategies are suggested to maximize…

A study involving 149 Hispanic students aged 5-11 in bilingual programs in Texas developed preliminary data on a measure of phonological processing in Spanish and investigated the extent of cross-linguistic transfer for phonological awareness skills from Spanish to English. Phonological processing in Spanish, as measured by the instrument,…

Dual language education programs have become extremely popular. Although these programs share common characteristics, they vary in several respects. Programs use different languages and include students with varying characteristics. For instance, many of these programs include students with fluent English proficiency and those with limited English…

In light of the continuing debate surrounding bilingual education, there has been a renewed interest to examine the perceptions and views on the subject from various constituents. The purpose of this study was to examine the group who is the target of and most affected by this controversy--English language learners. The study surveyed 280 Latino…