Dual language narrative intervention produced a large English vocabulary gain (d = .98) but only a small Spanish vocabulary gain (d = .34)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2 · i1 small
Currency · newest study 2019 · checked against its sources 2026-11-03 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i1 Spanish receptive knowledge of the targeted words showed only a small effect (d = .34), with several children performing the same or worse at posttest. → Spencer et al. 2019

Evidence¶

Spencer et al. 2019¶

Trina D. Spencer, Douglas B. Petersen, M. Adelaida Restrepo, Marilyn Thompson, and Maria Nelly Gutierrez Arvizu. (2019). The Effect of Spanish and English Narrative Intervention on the Language Skills of Young Dual Language Learners. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121418779439

q2 · i1 · causal · r1

Same pretest–posttest vocabulary assessment administered in Spanish. Mean rose from 5.4 to 6.0; the article characterizes the change as "a small effect (d = .34)" and notes several children performed the same or worse at posttest.

"For Spanish vocabulary, the mean score at pretest was 5.4 (SD = 2.2) and the mean score at posttest was 6.0 (SD = 2.1)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Oral Language — outcome: instruction changes it
• Reading and Language — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it
• Vocabulary — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• A dual language narrative intervention improved English narrative retell skills of Spanish-speaking preschool DLLs in a multiple-baseline design — related
• Simultaneous and sequential DLL learners show opposite vocabulary patterns in English versus the home language — related
• Bilingual children's English and Spanish receptive vocabulary and oral comprehension both increased across two years of Head Start, with group advantages in the language of prior exposure — related
• Children receiving the home plus preschool LINK intervention outperformed preschool-only children on Spanish vocabulary gains (d = 0.91 RNA; d = 0.79 RVK) — related
• Treatment preschoolers significantly improved Spanish receptive and expressive vocabulary and English receptive vocabulary from pre-test to post-test, with moderate effect sizes — related