College
College of Behavioral and Community Sciences
Mentor Information
Dr. Matthew Foster
Description
Dual language learners (DLLs) represent one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, and many continue to receive English-language instruction with limited bilingual language support (Lindholm-Leary, 2022). Because oral language development is associated with later academic outcomes (Spencer & Petersen, 2020), evidence-based bilingual oral language interventions are needed, particularly in underserved schools where staffing and resources are limited. The present study examined the effects of Story Champs Bilingual Edition 2.0 (SCBE2.0), a narrative-based Spanish-English oral language intervention, on language outcomes among Spanish-English DLLs when delivered by trained nonteacher personnel at a low dosage. English and Spanish oral language outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention. A quasi-experimental design was used with 43 kindergarten and first-grade Spanish-English DLLs from a rural bilingual immersion school in Florida. Students needing Tier 2 support received SCBE2.0 (n = 22) for 30-minute weekly sessions for 10 weeks, while students receiving business-as-usual (BAU) classroom instruction served as the comparison (n = 21). Treatment effects were evaluated using inverse probability weighting followed by a linear mixed-effects model, with sensitivity analyses yielding similar findings. Treatment effects were observed for Spanish oral language, F(1, 36) = 15.94, p < .001, d = 1.237. No significant treatment effects were observed for English oral language, F(1, 35) = 0.81, p = 0.375, although the effect size was moderate (d = 0.358). These findings suggest that SCBE2.0 may improve oral language skills among DLLs and support further research on feasibility and effectiveness across dosages.
Effects of a Low-Dosage Bilingual Oral Language Intervention on Language Outcomes Among Dual Language Learners
Dual language learners (DLLs) represent one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States, and many continue to receive English-language instruction with limited bilingual language support (Lindholm-Leary, 2022). Because oral language development is associated with later academic outcomes (Spencer & Petersen, 2020), evidence-based bilingual oral language interventions are needed, particularly in underserved schools where staffing and resources are limited. The present study examined the effects of Story Champs Bilingual Edition 2.0 (SCBE2.0), a narrative-based Spanish-English oral language intervention, on language outcomes among Spanish-English DLLs when delivered by trained nonteacher personnel at a low dosage. English and Spanish oral language outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention. A quasi-experimental design was used with 43 kindergarten and first-grade Spanish-English DLLs from a rural bilingual immersion school in Florida. Students needing Tier 2 support received SCBE2.0 (n = 22) for 30-minute weekly sessions for 10 weeks, while students receiving business-as-usual (BAU) classroom instruction served as the comparison (n = 21). Treatment effects were evaluated using inverse probability weighting followed by a linear mixed-effects model, with sensitivity analyses yielding similar findings. Treatment effects were observed for Spanish oral language, F(1, 36) = 15.94, p < .001, d = 1.237. No significant treatment effects were observed for English oral language, F(1, 35) = 0.81, p = 0.375, although the effect size was moderate (d = 0.358). These findings suggest that SCBE2.0 may improve oral language skills among DLLs and support further research on feasibility and effectiveness across dosages.
