Describes the Experiment in Reading for Mexican American Students (ERMAS) a Title III, ESEA program in Spanish that is taught in a manner consistent with the program to be used for reading in English. While learning to read in Spanish, the child simultaneously learns to speak English through an aural-oral approach. (JF)

Uses "word length" (syllable count) and "spoken duration" to examine cross-language equivalence of tests measuring short-term memory. Although the English and Spanish versions of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test had considerably different word length, the performance of bilingual college students did not differ between…

Examines the phenomenon of code switching (when bilingual speakers use languages interchangeably) in Mexican-American first graders. Cites several reasons for code switching, and discusses implications for reading instruction. (MM)

This study examined the use of dynamic mediation procedures for assessing language modifiability of Spanish-speaking students with learning disabilities. Pre- and post-mediation measures included language scores and behavioral observations of language learning and modifiability during mediation. Results indicated significant improvement in…

A BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM HAS BEEN FIELD TESTED IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, IN CLASSES OF DISADVANTAGED MEXICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN. THIS SOUTHWEST EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY (SWEDL) PROGRAM IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO TEACHING FRENCH ACADIANS AND NEGRO AMERICANS. THE STRENGTH OF THE PROGRAM, ACCORDING TO THE AUTHOR, LIES IN WHAT IT DOES TO CHANGE…

This bulletin summarizes the arguments for bilingual education in the United States. More than one language is needed as the medium of instruction where the child's mother tongue may not be English. Instruction in a weaker language not only retards reading, but arithmetic and other subjects are not as well learned if the child must cope with…

The possibility exists that another language resource, the Spanish language of the Mexican American, will be lost in the United States due to language ethnocentrism. Mexican American bilingualism is viewed as an intellectual handicap by public educators who do not understand the basic linguistic bias of instruments utilized to measure the…

Papers presented at the second annual Nuevas Vistas conference of the California State Department of Education are contained in this report. The broad areas covered are: (1) sociological views of the Mexican American; (2) problems of Mexican American students; and (3) reports of research projects concerned with Mexican American education.…

The first year of an ESEA/Title III experimental program to teach beginning reading in Spanish to 300 Mexican-American first graders in Corpus Christi, Texas, was described. While learning to read in Spanish, the children simultaneously learned English through aural-oral approach, with the goal of reading in both languages by the end of grade 2. A…

The purpose of this selective bibliography of approximately 350 works is to draw the various materials on Mexican American culture together for use by students at different age levels. The materials are separated into lists for preschool and primary, intermediate, and advanced students. The reading selections provide information in the following…

The purpose of the study was to determine if measures of first grade readiness, scholastic aptitude, and reading achievement were significant predictors of reading achievement at the end of third grade for Mexican American students from 2 lower socioeconomic levels. Students (47 boys and 47 girls) who had completed their third year in the…

The study compared the results of four measures of language dominance in a group of 32 Mexican-American children (mean age 6.1 years-old). (Author/PHR)