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The Influence of Non-English Home Language on Kindergarteners’ Acquisition of Early Mathematical Skills: A Study Based on an Early Childhood Longitudinal Program

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2019, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Curriculum and Instruction Special Education (Education).
The use of heritage language at home is a highly-debated issue when discussing whether it is a disadvantage or a positive ethnic resource for children’s academic achievement. In this dissertation, the author investigated the association between the use of heritage language, parental involvement in numeracy development at home, and children’s math achievement from kindergarten through grade 2. The main overarching inquiry is twofold: What is the relationship between children’s math achievement and family educational resources (i.e., parental education level, parental belief in the importance of early math development, formal and informal home numeracy activities); How do children benefit from parents who teach them numbers in their heritage language at home? Previous research suggests that the use of heritage language at home enhances parent-child closeness, increases parental engagement in children’s learning at home, and thereby, leads to high academic achievement. Based on the theories of family social capital (Coleman, 1988) and theories of segmented assimilation of immigrant families (Portes & Zhou, 1993), Strobel (2016), a German sociologist, examined the mechanism that speaking heritage language at home has a unique positive effect on middle-school students’ math achievement, and found no evidence to support this mechanism. Strobel suggested that age and nationality of immigrant children might be critical factors that led his results to contradict those of previous studies. Using the method of extension replication, the author analyzed the U.S. national data of children who started kindergarten in the fall of 2010 and reported using a language other than English at home. The results of the present study are consistent with those in Strobel’s study. However, some new findings suggest that regarding children’s math achievement, the strength of ethnic resources lies in parents’ strong belief in the importance of early math development and the dedication of time to teach their children numeracy at home. This study fills a gap in the literature that examines the home learning environment of immigrant families that speak languages other than English, and how that environment relates to children’s achievement in mathematics.
Dianne Gut (Committee Chair)
Anil Ruhil (Committee Member)
Jennifer Ottley (Committee Member)
Kessler Greg (Committee Member)
310 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cai, J. (2019). The Influence of Non-English Home Language on Kindergarteners’ Acquisition of Early Mathematical Skills: A Study Based on an Early Childhood Longitudinal Program [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1547124240464993

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cai, Jinghong. The Influence of Non-English Home Language on Kindergarteners’ Acquisition of Early Mathematical Skills: A Study Based on an Early Childhood Longitudinal Program. 2019. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1547124240464993.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cai, Jinghong. "The Influence of Non-English Home Language on Kindergarteners’ Acquisition of Early Mathematical Skills: A Study Based on an Early Childhood Longitudinal Program." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1547124240464993

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)