A case study in an urban low-SES public school of the contextual complexities of early childhood Spanish-English emergent literacy

Spring, Jennifer Lea (2019) A case study in an urban low-SES public school of the contextual complexities of early childhood Spanish-English emergent literacy. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

ABSTRACT A CASE STUDY IN AN URBAN LOW-SES PUBLIC SCHOOL OF THE CONTEXTUAL COMPLEXITIES OF EARLY CHILDHOOD SPANISH-ENGLISH EMERGENT LITERACY JENNIFER L. SPRING The purpose of this study was to examine the language and literacy experiences, in a public school, of young readers and writers from Spanish-speaking families. Typically called English Language Learners (ELLs), these children are in schools in increasing numbers in the USA, and in Arizona, are consistently documented as at-risk for academic struggles in literacy. There is an extensive literature base in emergent literacy and language acquisition. With a strong base of research, it is discouraging to see low academic achievement for ELLs. The primary research question was (1) What contextual factors influence and impact young Spanish-speaking emergent readers’ language and literacy development in English? Secondary research questions were (1)How are emergent literacy practices enacted by the teachers in the preschool and kindergarten classroom settings? (2) What are the experiences of a young, Spanish-speaking, emerging reader in a preschool program and in a kindergarten program? (3) How do the Spanish-speaking families describe their goals and expectations for their child’s education and for their Spanish and English development? This study was grounded in Vygotsky’s (1987) Sociocultural Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s (1977, 1979) Ecological Systems Theory. Findings from this study may provide insight into what may impede ELLs academic success in literacy in public school. Keywords: emergent literacy, ELL, context, bilingualism,

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	BILINGUAL EDUCATION; CONTEXT; ELL; EMERGENT LITERACY; LITERACY; LITERACY CURRICULUM; SPANISH-SPEAKING STUDENTS
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Education > Teaching and Learning
Date Deposited:	31 Jan 2022 17:47
Last Modified:	31 Jan 2022 17:47
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/5604

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