Literacy requires a prior set of emergent literacy skills that, in turn, require both print-related experiences and a foundation of early oral language competence. For children from Spanish-speaking homes, limited exposure to English and/or limited oral language competence in either Spanish or English may limit the development of their emergent English literacy both directly and indirectly. The eventual results of these limitations contribute to academic underachievement (Goldenberg, 1987), a persistent problem in the US Hispamc population in which only 63% of students graduate from high school (Healthy People 2000). These limitations may be ameliorated by early exposure to English language in addition to an enriched home language environment. The Bilingual Early Language and Literacy Support (BELLS) project was funded by NIH and OERI (Contract# 5-R01- HD39501) to test the language and emergent literacy outcomes of Spanish-speaking/bilingual children who either were enrolled in an early childhood program that included English exposure/immersion and home language and literacy support or were in a community, where limited early childhood experiences were available. BELLS was funded to assess children up to Kindergarten entry. However, many of the children enrolled in BELLS will be entering kindergarten prior to the end of the BELLS project and many will be in first grade when the project ends. The literature supports longitudinal research that follows children from early childhood into the school setting (Dickinson & McCabe, 2001). The purpose of this supplemental study will be to follow BELLS children into Kindergarten and first grade. This will allow us to examine school and home pathways to reading achievement.
