The debate over an optimal age for learning a second language has been active for decades and includes dispute about whether learning derives mainly from nature or nurture. This article explores to what extent exposing native Portuguese preschool children (3-5 years old) to a specific pedagogic approach for learning English is effective in…

This study used data from Early Childhood Longitudinal Study -- Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) and examined the relations between children's Head Start exposure and their early academic skills (i.e., language, literacy, and math skills) in the United States. Two groups of children who shared similar socio-economic status and disability status but received…

This investigation examined the influence of varying levels of Spanish receptive vocabulary and phonemic awareness ability on beginning English vocabulary, phonemic awareness, word reading fluency, and reading comprehension development across kindergarten through second grade. The 80 respondents were Spanish speaking children with no English…

This study examined the relationship between parental involvement routines and former Head Start children's literacy outcomes. Former Head Start children (n = 3, 808) from the National Head Start/Public School Transition Demonstration Research Project comprised the sample. Family routines and literacy outcomes in kindergarten were examined,…

This study investigated the home literacy environments (HLEs) of 4-year-old children attending an early childhood program prior to school entry and the association between the HLE and children's interests in and attitudes to literacy. One hundred and thirty-eight parents and 140 children participated in the study. Parents completed a questionnaire…

The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between temperament (specifically impulsivity and inhibition) and prereading skills (letter knowledge and print concepts) in preschool children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The participants in the study were 111 preschool children with a mean age of 58.09 months (SD = 5.80) attending Head…

The current study examines how children develop multimodal narratives through the construction of quilt squares and I Am poetry. Creating visual narratives through the use of personal artifacts lays the foundation for this artistic multiple literacy experience. The study focuses on the process and growth that a diverse group of kindergarten…

Reports on a battery of oral language and early literacy tests, called the SHELL. Describes the tests, presents tasks and scoring system, and provides information about performance by participants in the Home-School Study of Language and Literacy Development. Descriptive, correlational, and predictive analyses based on SHELL-K (kindergarten) and…

Reviews the historical and current theoretical contexts that have contributed to the concept of readiness, especially reading readiness. Discusses connectionist, emergent, social constructivist, and critical theories of early literacy. Ends with a discussion of the future of research, debate, and practice in the area of early literacy. (DR)

Offers brief commentary on the studies included in this issue. Maintains that the four articles on children's home and school language is important professional literature for anyone who deals with reading and language. (BB)

Notes that Davidson's book provides an in-depth exploration of the contribution of dramatic play to emergent literacy and ways that teachers can implement play-based literacy learning. Maintains that the book has a balanced theoretical orientation, provides a sensitive treatment of intervention, presents a thoughtful treatment of oral and written…