Predicting Science and Social Studies Vocabulary Learning in Spanish-English Bilingual Children

This study examines the linguistic skills that support the learning of science and social studies vocabulary words for second-grade Latino bilingual students.

We used data from a cluster randomized study where second-grade classrooms within schools were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 13) or the control group (n = 13), with a total of 217 bilingual Latino students. Students in the intervention group received a researcher-developed explicit vocabulary intervention focused on science and social studies word learning. The control group received business-as-usual instruction. Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), we examined the association of early language skills at pretest and their relation to word learning outcomes in science and social studies, as measured by the production of definitions and sentences post-intervention.

The six language tasks assessed exhibited significant moderate correlations with one another and vocabulary outcomes, indicating a potential underlying relation. These indicator variables load into a singular latent factor when analyzed using CFA. Using SEM, the language factor (f1) significantly predicted student capacity to produce definitions and sentences. After accounting for the benefits of the intervention, these effects of f1 remained strongly associated to definitions and sentence production.

Learning content vocabulary is significantly related to student language skills in Spanish and in English. This finding suggests that developing student language skills early facilitates the learning of curricular vocabulary words later. This finding has key implications for teaching and learning content vocabulary for bilingually developing students. Theoretical and practical applications for instruction of bilingual students are discussed.

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.29711267.