BILINGUAL PRESCHOOLERS--PRECURSORS TO LITERACY

描述：（改编自申请人的描述）成为识字是一个 所有孩子都必须掌握的多方面技能。 识字变得更加 对讲西班牙语的孩子来说很复杂，因为他们开始识字的过程 不同的语言经验。 孩子们可能在一个家庭中长大， 西班牙语是唯一的语言，并可能成为双语顺序时， 他们进入一个教育环境。 其他人学习两种语言 同步 扫盲发展可能会因以下因素而进一步复杂化： 家庭和学校环境的差异。 这项前瞻性 纵向研究涉及三个相互关联的问题：（a） 语言和识字发展速度和质量的差异 孩子们同时学习西班牙语和英语的区别吗 (b)口语发展和环境的哪些因素导致 双语儿童的积极和消极识字结果？（c）如何 双语儿童语言系统的特殊性与 以及家庭环境如何缓冲儿童对 负面结果？ 为了解决这些问题，本研究探讨了 语言习得、识字发展和家庭环境 波多黎各血统的儿童参加了“开端”项目。 50个孩子 依次学习西班牙语和英语， 同时将从4岁到6岁进行研究。 的 将深入研究24名儿童的发展情况。 结果 调查的结果将告诉我们（a）双语语言的模式 （B）具体因素 干预措施应针对这一点，以促进取得更好的成果。

DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from applicant's description) Becoming literate is a multifaceted skill that all children must accomplish. Literacy becomes more complex for Spanish speaking children because they begin the literacy process with varied language experiences. Children may be raised in a home in which Spanish is the only language spoken and may become bilingual sequentially when they enter an educational setting. Others learn both languages simultaneously. Literacy development may be further complicated by differences between the home and school environments. This prospective longitudinal study addresses three interrelated questions: (a) What are the differences in the rate and quality of language and literacy development between children learning Spanish and English sequentially and simultaneously? (b) What factors of oral language development and the environment result in positive and negative literacy outcomes in bilingual children? and (c) How do the specific characteristics of bilingual children's linguistic systems relate to literacy outcomes and how does the home environment buffer children against negative outcomes? To address these questions, this study examines the language acquisition, literacy development, and home environment of 100 children of Puerto Rican descent who attend Head Start. Fifty children acquiring Spanish and English sequentially and 50 acquiring the two languages simultaneously will be studied from the ages of four to six years. The development of a subset of 24 children will be studied in depth. The results of the investigation will inform us of (a) the patterns of bilingual language acquisition that result in better literacy abilities; and (b) specific factors that should be targeted in interventions to facilitate better outcomes.