No abstract

This study examined the combined and unique contributions of home, teacher, and peer English exposure levels on Spanish-speaking preschoolers' (N = 107) English receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. The combined levels of English exposure during the fall of preschool were positively associated with children's English receptive and expressive vocabulary skills in the spring. Furthermore, English exposure levels at home were uniquely and positively associated with children's English receptive and expressive vocabularies, whereas peer English exposure levels were uniquely and positively associated with children's English expressive vocabulary. Teachers' English exposure levels were not uniquely associated with children's English vocabulary. The findings highlight the importance of the home environment and peer experiences in the classroom for maximizing Spanish-speaking children's early English vocabulary skills.Language-minority (LM) students comprise approximately 21% of all students in the United States and face unique academic challenges (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2010). Because instruction is conducted only in English in most US schools, LM children need to learn enough English to comprehend their teachers' instructions, engage with classroom content, and participate in classroom discussions before they can begin learning academic skills such as

No abstract