Linda Espinosa

The impact of bilingual preschool education on the language development of Spanish-speaking children☆

Abstract This study addressed the question of what effect bilingual preschool education has on the Spanish and English language development of Spanish speaking children. This question was addressed by measuring the language proficiency of children enrolled in a bilingual preschool program and children who stay at home during the day. Three dimensions of language proficiency were examined: language reception, production, and verbal complexity. Using a repeated measures design, it was found that children enrolled in preschool gained proficiency in English at a faster rate while maintaining a similar level of Spanish proficiency as those children who stay at home during the day. Results of this study are discussed in terms of current issues in the early childhood education of non-English-speaking children.

Technology in the Home and the Achievement of Young Children: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study

Because technology in the home is becoming ever more available, understanding the role of technology in early childhood development is increasingly an opportunity and a concern for educators. This report examines data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99, to provide an overview of the role of technology in the home and its impact on reading and math achievement in the early grades. The results show that access and use of technology influence childrens academic achievement. Although the results show that having access to technology can contribute significantly to the achievement of young children, mere access is unlikely to be sufficient for all young children to benefit from technology in the home. Adults will need to mediate the use of these potential learning tools for children. Based on the findings of this report, policymakers should support increasing the availability of computers for low-income families and continue to discourage extensive viewing of TV, and researchers should focus on the specific methods that parents can enact to realize the learning potential of an increasingly ubiquitous resource: computers and the Internet in the home.

A process for understanding how a field‐based course influences teachers’ beliefs and practices

Abstract This study examined changes in teachers’ beliefs and practices using video to enhance self‐evaluation and guided reflection. Participants (N = 11) were enrolled in afield‐based intensive reading methods course that included a practicum component. Pre‐ and post‐data were collected from four sources: (a) a teaching‐beliefs questionnaire, (b) videotapes of two teaching episodes, (c) videotapes of two post‐teaching reflective conferences, and (d) a videotaped portfolio presentation. Analysis followed the method developed by Menges and Rando (1989) to categorize espoused and implicit theories of teaching. In addition, four cases were analyzed for in‐depth descriptions of the change process (Merriam, 1988). Multicase analysis provided insight into how teacher change occurred through opportunities for guided reflection.

Maternal Teaching Behaviors of Preschool Children in Hispanic Families: Does a Home Intervention Program Make a Difference?

Abstract The study examined if a home intervention program designed for Hispanic low-income families would increase maternal teaching behaviors typical of the learning environments that children will meet in school. The sample consisted of 40 mother-child dyads enrolled in a home intervention program and a control group of 32 mother-child dyads. A home intervention program specifically designed for Hispanic low-income families was implemented. After controlling for pretest scores and maternal education, significant differences in maternal teaching behaviors were found between the groups when observed in a teaching task with their preschool children. Program group mothers made significantly more use of questions and descriptions and less use of negative motivation in their instruction compared to the control group. Significant correlations indicated that the pattern of highly correlated teaching behaviors was different for the two groups over time. Results of this study are discussed in terms of bridging t...

CSCL for schools that learn

Learning communities and organizations are being recognized both as a mechanism for bringing learning about and as an explanation of what learning takes place. Systems that support learning in context and collaborative learning are increasingly being used to support performance and learning for school reform and business productivity. Similarly, many of the performance and learning outcomes that we care the most about, e.g., higher order thinking, problem solving, communication competencies, are understood as developing in the authentic activity of a community, such as a profession, a trade, or an academic discipline. Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) is a method for bringing the power of technology to support collaborative and contextual learning. This article argues that CSCL can be a framework for school reform, not just as a method of curriculum implementation, but also as a framework for enterprise-wide, process change. The article will also illustrate how cscl-type systems can facilitate schools becoming learning organizations, not just organizations that support learning.

Evaluation of an Inservice Model To Train Child Care Providers about Inclusion.

Abstract This study investigates the effects of an inservice education project focused on care for children with disabilities. Employees of home- and center-based child care programs were randomly assigned to training and control groups. Caregivers who received training attended group meetings and observed on-site demonstrations under live and videotaped presentation conditions. During the first year, a multidisciplinary team consisting of eight professionals presented monthly workshops and conducted on-site consultation and demonstration visits at the child care settings. During the second year, one professional presented videotapes and led discussions during group meetings, and a graduate student assistant conducted the on-site consultation and demonstration visits. Two control groups of caregivers did not receive any training. Caregivers who participated in the training groups earned significantly higher scores on an observation scale and on a self-rating questionnaire than caregivers who were assigned...

Perceptions of Early Childhood Special Education: Surveys of Superintendents and Parents in Washington State.

Future directions for early childhood special education have been hard to predict. Attitudes among local influential groups are an important variable in that prediction, because the local level is where conflicting opinions about early childhood education must ultimately be resolved. The researchers examined the attitudes of two very influential local groups—school superintendents and parents of handicapped children—regarding early childhood education. School officials were asked about their existing early childhood programs and how they viewed these services and a possible mandate for service to 3- and 4-year olds. Parents were asked about services received and their satisfaction and future needs. Superintendents expressed generally strong support for a preschool mandate, despite declining revenues. Parents overwhelmingly found present services adequate or better and advocated continued early childhood programs for handicapped children.

Child Care Experiences Among Dual Language Learners in the United States

Although quality center-based child care is helpful in promoting school readiness for dual language learners (DLLs), little is known about the nonparental child care that young DLL children experience. DLL status is often confounded with immigrant status, ethnicity, and poverty. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Birth Cohort, we examined child care experiences with repeated cross-sectional analyses at 9, 24, and 52 months for DLL and non-DLL children. After accounting for demographic and contextual factors, we found few differences in the quality and type of child care experienced by DLL children and children who hear only English in the home. Child care experiences were more related to country of origin, ethnicity, or immigrant status than DLL status. Nonparental caregivers were more likely to speak the child’s home language in home-based care than center care. Findings illustrate the importance of distinguishing among DLL status, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, country of origin, and immigrant status when considering the child care experiences of DLLs.

Culture, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Early Childhood Special Education

Culturally and linguistically sensitive and individually tailored services are essential to the effective delivery of human services. Recognition and respect for the influences of cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity across families are important underpinnings for intervention services. In the field of early childhood special education (ECSE), these components are particularly crucial given the emphasis on early identification and treatment for the very youngest in our population and the provision of services and support for children within their families’ homes and communities. While these values may be widely embraced and even adopted, putting them into practice in ECSE settings demands planned, well-informed, and reflective approaches. Recent demographic shifts reflecting greater population diversity present both challenges and opportunities for service providers to adapt their practices in order to meet and effectively support the breadth of needs of children and their families. It is the purpose of this chapter to describe considerations related to the diversity of children and families being served and to identify strategies and recommendations for effectively meeting the range of child and family needs.

NetWorked learning systems

New network-based learning systems are coming into use that offer the possibility of integrating curriculum support systems with student information systems as well as changing the metaphor of the Internet from library to workspace. We call these integrated and process-oriented systems Networked Learning Systems (NLS). An NLS is tentatively defined as a program or set of programs designed to operate over a network and support users as they undertake tasks or participate in processes related to learning. Computer Supported Collaborated Learning (CSCL) is one important type of process that can be enabled by NLS. Schools already have begun to adopt NLS. To adequately support CSCL in schools, it is necessary to understand the types and dimensions of networked learning systems currently available. This poster describes in detail one networked learning system, Shadow netWorkspace™ (SNS) (http://sns.internetschools.org), and highlights several other available networked learning systems.