ERIC Number: EJ1300874
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2227-7102
EISSN: N/A
Impacts on Head Start Dual Language Learning Children's Early Science Outcomes
Rumper, Brooke; Frechette, Elizabeth; Greenfield, Daryl B.; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy
Education Sciences, v11 Article 283 2021
The present study examined the roles that language of assessment, language dominance, and teacher language use during instruction play in Dual Language Learner (DLL) science scores. A total of 255 Head Start DLL children were assessed on equated science assessments in English and Spanish. First overall differences between the two languages were examined, then associations between performance on science assessments were compared and related to children's language dominance, teacher quantity of English and Spanish, and teachers' academic science language. When examined as a homogeneous group, DLLs did not perform differently on English or Spanish science assessments. However, when examined heterogeneously, Spanish-dominant DLLs performed better on Spanish science assessments. The percentage of English and Spanish used by teachers did not affect children's science scores. Teachers' use of Spanish academic science language impacted children's performance on science assessments, but English did not. The results have implications for the assessment of DLLs and teacher language use during instruction.
Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Bilingual Education, Preschool Children, Science Achievement, Outcomes of Education, Language of Instruction, Language Dominance, Language Usage, Student Evaluation, Hispanic American Students, Spanish, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Federal Programs, Low Income Students
MDPI AG. Klybeckstrasse 64, 4057 Basel, Switzerland. Tel: e-mail: indexing@mdpi.com; Web site: http://www.mdpi.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: Administration for Children and Families (DHHS), Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: GR011545; R305A130612