Purpose: This longitudinal study assessed continuity and stability of productive language (vocabulary and grammar) and discourse features (turn-taking; asking and responding to questions) during mother-child play. Method: Parent-child language use in 119 Spanish-speaking, Mexican immigrant mothers and their children at two ages (M = 2.5 and 3.6…

Research Findings: Using two groups of dual language learners (DLLs), the current study examined links between two developmental constructs closely linked to school readiness: the home language environment (HLE) and executive function (EF). In a sample of 90 children (age range = 38-70 months, 59% girls) from either Mexican American (MA, N = 46)…

The current 3-generation (N = 204 families), 3-year longitudinal study examined the intergenerational transmission of cultural socialization among Mexican-origin young mothers and their own mothers (i.e., children's grandmothers) and, in turn, whether young mothers' cultural socialization informed their children's developmental competencies (i.e.,…

Research Findings: This study investigated the association between Mexican American maternal education and socioeconomic status (SES) and child vocabulary as mediated by parental reading beliefs, home literacy environment (HLE), and parent-child shared reading frequency. As part of a larger study, maternal reports of education level, SES, HLE, and…

Research Findings: Home language and literacy inputs have been consistently linked with enhanced language and literacy skills among children. Most studies have focused on maternal inputs among monolingual populations. Though the proportion of American children growing up in primarily non-English-speaking homes is growing and the role of fathers in…

The majority of early education programs promote children's learning through a mix of experiences in child- and teacher-managed contexts. The current study examined time spent in child- and teacher-managed contexts and the nature of children's experiences with teachers in these contexts as they relate to children's skill development. Participants…

The majority of early education programs promote children's learning through a mix of experiences in child- and teacher-managed contexts. The current study examined time spent in child- and teacher-managed contexts and the nature of children's experiences with teachers in these contexts as they relate to children's skill development. Participants…

Fifty-nine Mexican-American families, each with a child between age 5 and 9, participated in a study to determine whether paternal proximal behaviors related to child ability and achievement. Proximal behaviors studied were: (1) teaching strategies; (2) language in literacy related activities; (3) involvement level in childcare; and (4) select…

Examines item bias on Forms L and M of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised in Anglo-American and Mexican-American children (N=132). Analyses indicated bias as measured by differences in item difficulty in both groups; however, there was no clear pattern of items that were more difficult for either group. (LLL)

Examined performance and error patterns of 50 bilingual Mexican-American third through fifth graders on the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R). The EOWPVT had adequate concurrent validity with PPVT-R. On both tests, scores were almost two standard deviations below normative…

Examined the degree of temporal stability of the PPVT-R for 56 Native-American, Mexican-American, and Anglo-American kindergarten children. In addition, stability was examined for home language groups. Results indicated that strong temporal stability existed over an eight-month period for all students. (JAC)

The culture loaded Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the culture reduced Raven's Progressive Matrices (Colored and Standard forms) were examined and compared for large samples of white, black, and Chicano school children, K-8, in three California school districts. On both the PPVT and the Raven's the three ethnic groups show large mean…

The project reported in this paper has 3 facets and is part of a larger one focused on finding out how to improve the prediction for scholastic success of children from disadvantaged populations. The first paper reports on a pilot study of the effect of parent participation in Head Start on subsequent utilization of community resources. It is also…

Responds to Dunn's paper on Hispanic-Anglo differences in IQ scores. Comments on Dunn's translation of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised into Castilian Spanish, and concludes this version is inappropriate for mainland Puerto Rican and Mexican-American children due to improper translation and validation methods. Contains 27 references.…

Performance was better for children above six years of age and better in Spanish than English. It is suggested that the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test never be used to assess the general intelligence of Mexican American children, because it likely underestimates their ability. (Author)