English exposure in the home and classroom: Predictions to Spanish-speaking preschoolers’ English vocabulary skills

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

Variations in Classroom Language Environments of Preschool Children Who Are Low Income and Linguistically Diverse

“…Peers have a significant positive influence on preschool children’s language development for both monolingual English children (Henry & Rickman, 2007; Justice, Petscher, Schatschneider, & Mashburn, 2011; Mashburn, Justice, Downer, & Pianta, 2009; McGregor, 2000; Schechter & Bye, 2007) and DLLs (Atkins-Burnett, Xue, & Aikens, 2017; Aukrust, 2004; Chesterfield, et al, 1982; Palermo et al, 2014; Rojas et al, 2016). Specifically, children’s language skills are positively predicted by the language ability of their peers (Atkins-Burnett et al, 2017; Henry & Rickman, 2007; Justice et al, 2011; Mashburn et al, 2009) as well as children’s frequency of language interactions with peers (Chesterfield et al, 1982; Palermo et al, 2014; Rojas et al, 2016), suggesting that peers with stronger language skills serve as language models for young children. In fact, Atkins-Burnett and colleagues (2017) found that peer effects were more robust for DLLs than for monolingual English-speaking children.…”

“…In fact, Atkins-Burnett and colleagues (2017) found that peer effects were more robust for DLLs than for monolingual English-speaking children. Additionally, several studies have documented that peers have a stronger positive effect on preschool DLL children’s English proficiency than teachers or parents (Chesterfield, et al, 1982; Palermo et al, 2014; Rojas et al, 2016). Yet, few studies describe preschool language interactions between peers (Aukrust, 2004; Chesterfield et al, 1982; Dickinson & Smith, 1991; Palermo et al, 2014).…”

“…Chesterfield and colleagues (1982) described language interaction patterns of six Spanish-speaking DLLs in three bilingual preschool classrooms and noted that DLL children’s language preferences with peers shift more from Spanish to English over the course of the school year. Other studies have taken a more narrow view by examining a specific aspect of peer language interactions, such as explanatory discourse during play (Aukrust, 2004) or DLL children’s interactions in only one language (Palermo et al, 2014). For instance, Palermo and colleagues (2014) examined preschool Spanish-speaking DLLs’ exposure to English.…”

“…Other studies have taken a more narrow view by examining a specific aspect of peer language interactions, such as explanatory discourse during play (Aukrust, 2004) or DLL children’s interactions in only one language (Palermo et al, 2014). For instance, Palermo and colleagues (2014) examined preschool Spanish-speaking DLLs’ exposure to English. Year-long data collection in 10 Head Start classrooms revealed that English exposure stemmed more from teachers than from peers, but the researchers did not ascertain the degree to which DLLs spoke to peers (or others) or the frequency of Spanish use/exposure.…”

The Perks of Being Peripheral: English Learning and Participation in a Preschool Classroom Network of Practice

“…Although the studies that Mackey and Goo reviewed reflect an overall trend in interaction work of studying adult and adolescent learners, a small subset of interaction research has found participation in interaction to be just as important for young children. In recent work by Palermo and colleagues, for example, positive peer interactions were found to be particularly important support for Spanish‐speaking preschoolers' second language growth (Palermo & Mikulski, ), and exposure to English from peer interaction made a unique contribution to Spanish‐speaking preschoolers' English vocabulary (Palermo et al., ).…”