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This study explores the role that socioeconomic status (SES), home and school language and literacy practices, and oral vocabulary play in the development of English reading skills in Latino English language learners (ELLs) and how these factors contribute differentially to English reading outcomes for children of different ages and in different settings: 292 Spanish-speaking kindergarteners in mostly English instruction, 85 Spanish-speaking third graders in bilingual instruction, and 70 Spanish-speaking fifth graders in both English and bilingual settings. Data were analyzed using hierarchical regression. Findings indicate that for each sample, English oral vocabulary is a significant predictor of English reading accuracy and comprehension once SES and home and school language and literacy factors have been considered. Beyond oral vocabulary, however, there is considerable variability across samples in the home and school language and literacy variables that are predictive of English reading outcomes. The study points to the importance of looking closely at the texture of children's lives in coming to an understanding of second-language literacy development.

Examines the origin of the term Latino in the U.S. Existence of the culture of multiculturalism; Variation of transnational sites; Emphasis of the processes of racialization.

This article presents ethnographic portraits of three Head Start classrooms serving children from linguistically diverse backgrounds. The three classrooms included an English-language classroom, a bilingual (Spanish-English) classroom, and a Spanish-language classroom. The language use patterns of teachers and children, the teachers' beliefs about second language learning, and the results of receptive vocabulary assessment are reported. The authors call for further research to establish the long-tern language and literacy effects of these different types of classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports on a longitudinal analysis of factors that predict the word reading skills in English and Spanish for a sample of 234 Spanish-speaking students in first grade. The children were assessed at the end of preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Data include three subtests of the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery and a researcher-developed phonological awareness task. Results showed that, on average, children's English word reading skills were similar to those of monolingual norms, while their Spanish word readings skills were, on average, one standard deviation below the mean. English vocabulary, English recalling skills, Spanish vocabulary, and Spanish word reading skills in preschool were found to be significant predictors of English word reading skills in first grade. Educational implications for assessment and instruction for this population during the early childhood years are discussed.