A Comparison of Difficulty Levels of Vocabulary in First Grade Basal Readers for Preschool Dual Language Learners and Monolingual English Learners

Autor/inn/en	Leung, Cynthia B.; Silverman, Rebecca; Nandakumar, Ratna; Qian, Xiaoyu; Hines, Sara
Titel	A Comparison of Difficulty Levels of Vocabulary in First Grade Basal Readers for Preschool Dual Language Learners and Monolingual English Learners
Quelle	In: American Educational Research Journal, 48 (2011) 2, S.421-461 (41 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0002-8312
DOI	10.3102/0002831210382890
Schlagwörter	Basal Reading; Monolingualism; Glossaries; Vocabulary Development; Grade 1; Comparative Analysis; Difficulty Level; Preschool Children; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Bilingualism; Reading Materials; Predictor Variables; Reading Instruction + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lesetraining; Glossary; Glossar; Wortschatzarbeit; School year 01; 1. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 01; Schwierigkeitsgrad; Pre-school age; Preschool age; Child; Children; Pre-school education; Preschool education; Vorschulalter; Kind; Kinder; Vorschulkind; Vorschulkinder; Vorschulerziehung; Vorschule; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Bilingualismus; Prädiktor; Leseunterricht
Abstract	The present study investigated preschoolers' knowledge of vocabulary that appears in first grade basal readers by applying Rasch modeling to data from a researcher-developed receptive picture vocabulary assessment administered to 238 children. Levels of word difficulty for dual language learners (DLLs) and monolingual English learners (MELs) were compared. A total of 60 target words were selected from the glossaries of basal readers, and two test forms of 30 words each were created with four illustrations per word plate. Rasch analyses carried out on the entire preschool sample and on separate samples of DLLs and MELs showed that the ranking of target words by difficulty was similar for DLLs and MELs, but the groups differed in mastery of target words. Language status and level of general vocabulary knowledge were stronger predictors of word difficulty than age for this sample of preschoolers. Findings suggest MELs and DLLs learn English words in a similar order, but further research is needed to support this conclusion. (Contains 3 tables, 9 figures, and 1 note.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10