Impact of heritage language on bilingual children's path to English literacy

项目概要/摘要 阅读是儿童早期学习的最重要的技能之一。不幸的是， 美国在阅读成绩方面往往达不到国家标准（Hemphill，2011）。这项建议旨在 了解双语如何影响儿童识字，以推进科学和告知个性化的方法， 为越来越多的美国年轻双语者提供阅读指导和诵读困难的精确治疗。 这项研究的主要目的是解释双语对儿童神经结构的影响， 学习阅读。这一建议推进了当前的识字观点（词汇质量模型; Perfetti &哈特， 2002）表明学习阅读需要神经认知系统之间的相互作用， 儿童对单词的声音、意义和拼写形式的表征，这样儿童就可以形成声音- 印刷和印刷意义的关联。然而，不同的语言更强调不同的 协会.学习西班牙语阅读会促使孩子们形成更强的声音与印刷品的联系， 中文读写能力促使孩子们形成更强的印刷意义联想。我们在这个十字架上- 语言学的证据来检验双语通过指导假设，双语者的发展， 神经认知系统受到他们对所习得语言特征的熟练程度的影响。 为了验证这一假设，我们将使用行为和功能近红外光谱（fNIRS） 神经成像测量在每一个孩子的语言，测试中英双语，西班牙语， 6-9岁的英语双语者和英语单语者（N=300）。我们还将测试这些孩子中的一部分 纵向（N=150）。所有的孩子都将在英语学校上学。双语儿童在以下方面会有所不同： 在家里或通过合作的课后项目接受遗产扫盲教育。目标1： 确定双语如何影响儿童学习阅读的神经结构。目标2是绘制 双语儿童学习阅读的神经认知轨迹。这种理论指导的方法将提供一个 坚实的实证基础，以（1）揭示支持双语者英语读写能力的神经认知过程 （2）通过提供双语习得的原则性证据，为学习阅读提供理论依据。 （3）在语音和语言的发展过程中， 语义识字途径至关重要的阅读的成功。这样的理解会让我们举一反三 关于跨语言学习经验和双语者的优势和劣势的变化来源， 学习用英语阅读。综合起来，综合的行为和神经影像学证据， 新兴的双语和阅读能力将提供丰富的信息，告知理论，教育 实践和临床方法，为越来越多的年轻双语和少数民族语言学习者。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Reading is one of the most important skills learned in early childhood. Unfortunately, bilingual learners in the US often fail to meet national standards in reading achievement (Hemphill, 2011). This proposal seeks to understand how bilingualism affects child literacy to advance science and inform individualized approaches to reading instruction and precision treatment of dyslexia for the growing numbers of young US bilinguals. The study's primary objective is to explain the effects of bilingualism on children's neural architecture for learning to read. This proposal advances current literacy perspectives (Lexical Quality Model; Perfetti & Hart, 2002) suggesting that learning to read requires the interaction between the neurocognitive systems linking children's representations of word sounds, meanings and orthographic forms so children can form sound-to- print and meaning-to-print associations. However, different languages put more emphasis on different associations. Learning to read in Spanish prompts children to form stronger sound-to-print associations, while Chinese literacy prompts children to form stronger meaning-to-print associations. We draw upon this cross- linguistic evidence to examine bilingualism through the guiding hypothesis that bilinguals' developing neurocognitive systems are affected by their proficiency with characteristics of the languages being acquired. To test this hypothesis, we will use behavioral and functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging measures in each of the children's languages, testing Chinese-English bilinguals, Spanish- English bilinguals and English monolinguals ages 6–9 (N=300). We will also test a subset of these children longitudinally (N=150). All children will be attending English-only schools. The bilingual children will vary in heritage literacy instruction received at home or through partnering afterschool programs. Aim 1 is to determine how bilingualism impacts children's neural architecture for learning to read. Aim 2 is to map the neurocognitive trajectory for learning to read for the bilingual child. This theory-guided approach will provide a solid empirical basis to (1) uncover neurocognitive processes that support emergent English literacy in bilingual contexts; (2) inform theories of learning to read by providing principled evidence on bilingual acquisition of typologically-contrasting languages; (3) specify individual differences in the development of phonological and semantic literacy pathways critical to reading success. Such understanding will allow us to draw inferences about cross-linguistic learning experiences and sources of variation in bilinguals' strengths and weaknesses in learning to read in English. Taken together, the comprehensive behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on emergent dual-language and reading competence will provide rich information to inform theory, educational practices, and clinical approaches for a growing number of young bilingual and minority language learners.