Early Literacy Strategies for Parents of Young Dual Language Learners: A Descriptive Study and Integrative Review

There is a large and growing population of dual language learners (DLLs) represented in early intervention programs in the United States, the majority of which are from Spanish-speaking families. In order to adequately serve these families, educators and speech-language pathologists must work closely with parents and provide them with culturally responsive strategies and activities that align with their language background and interaction styles. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to identify culturally consistent early literacy strategies specifically for parents of two- to three-year-old DLLs. Findings from a descriptive study that included 94 young DLLs and their parents engaged in a book reading task plus findings from an integrative literature review were converged to identify potential parent-implemented strategies that may support early literacy in young DLLs. From this process, a total of 26 strategies were identified in the categories of enhanced interaction, engagement with texts or storybooks, questioning behaviors, and other language enhancement. Fifteen of the strategies had compelling strength based on available work. Use of these strategies in pilot programs and future treatment studies is recommended.