Criteria applicable to all reading programs (and particularly to reading programs for Mexican-American children), regardless of philosophical or methodological differences among the various programs, are delineated. These criteria are listed and discussed in the form of the following nine questions: Has a good learning environment been…

Examined performance and error patterns of 50 bilingual Mexican-American third through fifth graders on the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R). The EOWPVT had adequate concurrent validity with PPVT-R. On both tests, scores were almost two standard deviations below normative…

A 30-item scale was developed to identify Hispanic acculturation level by assessing Spanish usage by 92 Chicano fourth-grade children and significant others. Reported Spanish usage by grandparents, parents, and children were significantly different. Scale reliability was .92. Validity rs were .50 with a bilingual scale and .58 with SES. (Author/DC)

A study of 151 bilingual Hispanic students aged 12-18 found that both English proficiency and Spanish proficiency were significantly related to academic achievement (standardized test scores and, to a lesser extent, grade point average). Among Spanish skills, written language had the strongest relationship to academic success. Contains 39…

Spanish-speaking children of Northern New Mexico exhibit varying degrees of interference and integration of English in their speech. (CK)

IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST, FOUR MILLION SPANISH-AMERICANS ARE CONCENTRATED IN FIVE STATES. THEIR CULTURAL TENACITY IS A PECULIARITY NOT DISPLAYED BY OTHER IMMIGRANT GROUPS. EVEN AFTER 125 YEARS THEY SPEAK AND LIVE IN A SPANISH-AMERICAN SOCIETY. THE REASON FOR THIS IS DIFFICULT TO DISCERN, BUT IT IS FELT BY SOME THAT THIS TENACITY IS VERY NOBLE AND…

Article lists ways in which cultural values influence behavior and attitudes, and suggests adjustments of the curriculum to meet the needs of Mexican-American students. (SP)

Analyzes the oral production of verb tenses and temporal expressions in the speech of four Spanish-speaking Mexican American children between the ages of two and four and one-half. Gives details of linguistic development at three- and/or six-month intervals. Charts the most common temporal expressions and their frequency of occurrence. (SB)

A cross section of Mexican American achievement is presented in a portfolio of 37 portraits of outstanding Americans of Mexican descent. Drawn in black and white on heavy paper stock by Mr. David L. Rodriguez, the sketches are suitable for display purposes. With the likenesses are biographical sketches in both English and Spanish which were…

The range of feeling among scholars, activists and teachers on the subject of the desirability of the dialect of the Spanish Southwest is discussed. Bilingual education teachers must have special preparation in the dialect to deal with students speaking this form of Spanish. (CHK)