Early Efficacy of Multitiered Dual-Language Instruction: Promoting Preschoolers' Spanish and English Oral Language

Y

16

Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

R305A140093

Oral Language; Intervention; Bilingual Education; Spanish; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Comparative Analysis; Vocabulary Development; Preschool Children; Receptive Language; Expressive Language; Language of Instruction; Second Language Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Disadvantaged Youth; Teacher Characteristics; Preschool Teachers; Classroom Environment; Video Technology; Teaching Methods

10.1177/2332858419897886

The purpose of this cluster randomized group study was to investigate the effect of multitiered, dual-language instruction on children's oral language skills, including vocabulary, narrative retell, receptive and expressive language, and listening comprehension. The participants were 3- to 5-year-old children (n = 81) who were learning English and whose home language was Spanish. Across the school year, classroom teachers in the treatment group delivered large-group lessons in English to the whole class twice per week. For a Tier 2 intervention, the teachers delivered small-group lessons 4 days a week, alternating the language of intervention daily (first Spanish, then English). Group posttest differences were statistically significant, with moderate to large effect sizes favoring the treatment group on all the English proximal measures and on three of the four Spanish proximal measures. Treatment group advantages were observed on Spanish and English norm-referenced standardized measures of language (except vocabulary) and a distal measure of language comprehension.

As Provided

Yes

2020

ED603565