An Investigation of Language-Minority Children

Résumé du livre

Research on language-minority (LM) children has generally focused on language as the primary mediator of student achievement without considering other student demographic characteristics. This is unfortunate, as studies that approach language-minority children as a homogeneous group will misestimate relationships between language status and academic achievement. Moreover, extant research is often hampered by its lack of focus on language-minority students' cognitive growth over time. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) and growth curve analyses within a three-level hierarchical framework, this report examines the academic skills of LM children as they enter kindergarten and progress through first grade. This report defines language-minority children as those having a primary home language other than English. A further distinction is made between language-minority children who are English proficient (LM/P) and those who are not proficient (LM/NP), although examinations of LM/NP children using the regular ECLS-K cognitive assessments are limited to mathematics and Hispanic (Spanish-speaking) LM/NP children. (Contains 6 tables.).