Vocabulary Improvement and Reading in English Language Learners: An Intervention Study.

The focus of this investigation is on understanding the manner in which enabling skills for reading are transferable across languages, in this case Spanish and English. The study examines how performance on indicators of Spanish reading at the end of second grade (April 1999) predict English performance at the beginning (October 1999) and end (April 2000) of the third grade. Specifically, we will be focusing on gains made over the course of one year of English reading instruction and their relationship to children's level of proficiency on enabling skills in reading in Spanish in Grade 2. We examine differences in transfer across phonological, orthographic, and comprehension processes in Spanish and English. We also compare the developmental progression in English reading of Spanishspeaking children instructed in English to that of children instructed in Spanish. This study involves the collaboration of researchers with 24 teachers in an intervention study aimed at investigating and improving the vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of fourthand fifth-grade students for whom English is a second language (English language learners). Researchers and teachers collaborated in developing and implementing intervention strategies directed at improving vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension in English language learners. Crosssectional and longitudinal data were collected on various aspects of vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of English language learners and their English-only peers. Findings from the crosssectional analyses indicated a large gap between English language learners and English-only students in all aspects of vocabulary knowledge (favoring English-only students). Findings from the longitudinal analyses indicated that students in the program outperformed comparable students on breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge and on measures of reading comprehension. Moreover, English language learners in the program closed the gap between themselves and native English-speakers by 50 percent on measures of vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. Researchers concluded that an enriched vocabulary development program can substantially close the gap between native and non-native speakers in vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension.