A Comparison of Bilingual Oral Language and Reading Skills among Limited English-Speaking Students from Spanish-Speaking Backgrounds. Monograph 2.

This study investigated whether there were significant differences in the acquisition of oral language and reading skills among limited-English-speaking, Hispanic elementary school students receiving instruction through three different bilingual reading approaches, and what other variables might be important. The three reading approaches were: (1) teaching reading in the native language prior to the formal introduction of English reading; (2) teaching reading in the native language and English concurrently; and (3) teaching reading in English exclusively. Three groups of children were studied: 6 year olds, 8 year olds, and 10 year olds. In oral English, findings indicated statistically significant differences among the 6 and 8 year olds: students receiving English-only instruction performed better than students receiving bilingual instruction. In English reading, the finding