Abstract
High Hispanic drop out rate continues to accelerate even though schools have adopted bilingual programs that could help Limited English Speaking (LEP) children reach academic success. The present bilingual programs are not helping to keep the LEP students in school. The study focused on a language early intervention program as one program that could help reverse the high Hispanic attrition rate. The purpose of this study was to show that a language early intervention program for 25% delayed limited English speaking preschool children will not only help improve auditory and verbal skills in the primary language (Spanish) but also in the secondary language (English). The early intervention program focused on teaching preschool teachers how to teach language skills. Methodology. A quasi-experimental treatment was completed on 25% delayed LEP preschool children receiving early intervention (Experimental Group) versus 25% delayed LEP preschool children not receiving early intervention (Control Group). Pre-post tests were given to both groups measuring auditory and verbal Spanish and English skills using two separate measures: the Developmental Indicators for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) and the Preschool Language Survey (PLS). The analysis of Covariance (Ancova) was used to test the differences in the performance between the Experimental and Control Group. Findings. The average difference in scores between pre-test and post-test for all measures administered showed that the Experimental group had consistently greater change scores than the Control Group. Both English and Spanish were learned simultaneously by the Experimental Group. The early intervention program simultaneously improved auditory and verbal language skills both in the primary language and the secondary language. Therefore, first and foremost, the study showed that a language early intervention program with 25% delayed limited English speaking preschool children will not only help improve auditory and verbal language skills in the primary language but also in the secondary language. The study also points out that there is a great need for improvement in flexibility in our bilingual programs. Further, it does so without any limitation on cultural diversity or confusion in the development of the primary language. Finally, the study discloses the importance of teaching preschool teachers how to teach language skills to their students. Language is a key to scholastic integration. Recommendations. The results of this study suggest the following recommendations: (1) Limited English speaking children should be exposed to English as early as possible to provide a conducive learning environment for high academic achievement. (2) Preschool teachers need to be trained in language integration skills (how to teach language). (3) Educational requirements should be increased for preschool teachers from the State Board of Education to include courses in the methods of teaching language skills.