Understanding the Language Development and

Young Hispanic children are the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority population in the United States, representing diverse racial, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds. Educational skills and achievement lag significantly for this population creating an unacceptable achievement gap at the beginning of kindergarten that grows even further by the end of third grade. What can we learn from the empirical literature, theory, programs, and policies associated with language and early learning for young Hispanics? What are the home and school factors important to differences in early cognitive development and educational well-being? In this timely collaboration, a renowned researcher and a seasoned practitioner explore these questions with a focus on specific instructional interventions that are associated with reducing the achievement gap for young Hispanic children. Chapters emphasize educational practices, including teacher competencies, instructional strategies, curricular content, parent involvement, and related policy. The text includes teacher-friendly artifacts, instructional organizers, and lesson descriptions.

Eugene E. Garcia is Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. His books include Young English Language Learners and Teaching and Learning in Two Languages. Erminda H. Garcia is a 1st-grade teacher in the Higley Unified School district in Gilbert, Arizona.

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction: What's in a Name? What's in a Culture?	p. 1
Name Lessons	p. 4
The Education of Hispanics in Early Childhood	p. 4
Educational Attainment and Academic Achievement	p. 8
Organization of This Book	p. 10
Demographics and Educational Circumstances of Hispanics in Early Childhood	p. 13
A Growing Population	p. 13
Parent Education Levels	p. 15
Child Poverty	p. 16
English Language Learners	p. 17
Hispanic Educational Performance Patterns in Early Childhood	p. 18
Conclusion	p. 28
The Concept of Culture in the Classroom	p. 29
Cultural Perceptions and Expectations	p. 30
Conclusion	p. 40
Language Development and Early Education of Young Hispanic Children	p. 41
Variations in Language Environments	p. 42
Bilingual Language Development	p. 47
The Effects of Policies and Practices on Academic Achievement	p. 50
Conclusion	p. 62
Rich Language Environments	p. 64
Home and Classroom Cultures	p. 66
Conclusion	p. 72
Teaching and Learning for Hispanics in Early Childhood	p. 73
Evaluations of Head Start and State Pre-K Programs	p. 74
Reading with Young Hispanic Children	p. 77
Writing with Young Hispanic Children	p. 87
The Assessment Process	p. 94
Cooperative Structures	p. 95
Best Practices That Facilitate Literacy Development	p. 97
Promising Program Practices	p. 98
Conclusion	p. 101
Responsive Teaching for Hispanic Children	p. 103
Developing Teachers	p. 103
Responsive Teacher Preparation	p. 106
Constructing Responsive Pedagogy and Learning Communities	p. 110
Responsive Teaching Practices	p. 111
Conclusion	p. 121
The Significance of Family Engagement	p. 122
Family Characteristics	p. 122
Family Involvement in Education	p. 128
Learning from Our Communities	p. 134
Conclusion	p. 138
Policy and Young Hispanics	p. 141
Early Intervention	p. 141
What Should Policymakers Do?	p. 150
Conclusion	p. 154
Conclusion	p. 157
Recommendations from Research, Best Practices, and Experience	p. 158
A Personal Set of Recommendations: The Four "R"s-Los Cuatro "R"s-and a "T"	p. 159
Preparing Young Hispanics and the United States for the Future	p. 165
Recommended Books as Windows and Mirrors	p. 167
Recommended Wordless Books	p. 169
References	p. 171
Index	p. 189
About the Authors	p. 198
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Understanding the Language Development and Early Education of Hispanic Children

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