In the present study, we aimed to disentangle the impact of bilingualism and socioeconomic status (SES) on literacy in language-minority bilingual children (LMBC) and monolinguals exposed to French. We also wanted to explore the role of these two factors on cognitive and language skills, i.e., verbal knowledge (VK), morphosyntactic comprehension…

This qualitative study employed a discourse analysis methodology to compare Korean bilingual students in first and third grades by examining different functions and forms of translanguaging in Korean heritage language (HL) classrooms in the U.S. By identifying linguistic functions and forms of each translanguaging occurrence, the study presents…

Purpose: We investigated the role of spoken language in the acquisition of literacy in the context of Arabic diglossia, where the written language, Standard Arabic, deviates substantially from the spoken language, Colloquial Arabic, children acquire naturally from birth. Method: The participants (N = 110; 40 girls) were Saudi Arabic--speaking…

Background: The coherence of learners' pre-instruction conceptions has been debated for some time. Studies on conceptions of force, specifically, have produced very different results in different contexts around the world. In this study, an integrative theoretical framework linking semantic differences across languages to concept learning in…

With much focus on English development in United States schools and research, less is known about how bilinguals develop literacy in their home languages without sustained formal instruction. This qualitative study of reading strategies addressed that gap. It examined how young bilinguals used English literacy knowledge gained through formal…

Socioemotional constructs have been receiving increased attention as contributors to individuals' literacy development. However, in comparison with positive socioemotional constructs, negative socioemotional constructs have been understudied with respect to their role in reading achievement in both emergent bilinguals (EBs) and English…

Socio-emotional constructs have been receiving increased attention as contributors to children's literacy development. However, in comparison to positive socio-emotional constructs, negative socio-emotional constructs have been understudied with respect to their role in reading achievement in both dual language learners (DLLs) and English speakers…

Because dual-language books (DLBs) print the entire text in two languages nearby on the page, they have great potential for supporting children's biliteracy development by providing contexts to compare/contrast languages. However, little is known about how children read DLBs independently and how they may/may not use such characteristics to…

This dissertation focused on mathematics instruction in early grades (Pre-K-3rd grade) by exploring teachers' beliefs about mathematics teaching and the teaching practices of one teacher. I specifically examined teachers' beliefs and one teacher's practices that reflect asset-based views of students and support mathematics learning with…

Teacher-researcher collaborative inquiry helps illuminate contextual demands and affordances of teaching and learning and how they shape and inform theory and practice. Elaborating on a university-school study in a Mandarin-English dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programme in the U.S., we examine how the researcher worked alongside a…

Children continuously engage in developing theories about how the world works as they inquire through play and interactions with others. In this study, we investigated children's in-process thinking in the form of working theories about language as they participated in engagements around dual language picturebooks in an afterschool club. Our…

This study investigated the impact of second language (L2) lexical quality on L2 reading comprehension in bilingual primary education. The participating children were taught in the L2 English for 30-50% of the time and the remaining time in their L1 Dutch. Seventy-three pupils from four different schools were assessed in the L2 on vocabulary,…

Purpose: This study examines the narrative language and reading outcomes of monolingual and bilingual students who received instruction with the Supporting Knowledge in Language and Literacy (SKILL) program, a narrative language intervention. Method: The main effects of the SKILL program were evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in which…

This study aimed at investigating when, and for which purposes, teachers and pupils translanguaged in a third-grade classroom [8-9 year olds] in a private bilingual school in northern Portugal. It also aimed at highlighting effective scaffolding strategies developed by the teachers in the Natural and Social Sciences (NSS) and English Language (EL)…

This study examined teachers' adherence to the language of instruction in dual language education (DLE) programs among teachers in 19 kindergarten through 3rd grade Spanish-English two-way DLE immersion classrooms (n = 5, 90/10 model; n = 14, 50/50 model). Teachers were observed toward the beginning and end of the school year to determine…