Ashley Simpson Baird

Merit Research Policy and Evaluation

Dual language learners are a growing population in early learning and care settings. Young DLLs have the potential to develop proficiency in two languages when provided adequate supports; however, most teachers of young DLLs feel inadequately prepared to support DLLs. Cultivating Oral Language and Literacy Talent in Students (COLLTS) is an evidence...

Project Mathematics and English Language Development (MELD) is a sixth-grade mathematics intervention aimed at supporting English learners’ (ELs) development of academic language and mathematical knowledge. This article describes the MELD scaffolds and strategies for ELs with multiple examples, as well as survey and focus group data on the effectiv...

This qualitative study examines language and literacy practices in nine Latin@ immigrant families, focusing on young children (ages 4–6) and their older siblings (ages 7–10). Audio, video, and fieldnote data were collected during a series of in-home observations. We use a multifaceted theoretical framework integrating sociocultural notions of learn...

We utilize a within-group framework to understand the association between childcare type and the language-use and vocabulary of second-generation Latino immigrant children. The sample was drawn from a study of a suburban/rural immigrant community to study the role of home experiences on the early language and literacy of young Latino preschoolers (...

Siblings play a critical role in the socialization experiences of their younger siblings. Societal values, standards and customs are transmitted and created through the process of modeling and the construction of shared meaning. It follows, therefore, that the process of socialization may be culturally dependent. Using multiple case studies of 5 si...

This study examined young emergent bilinguals’ cognate and false cognate knowledge and vocabulary outcomes on four early-language assessments in English and Spanish. Findings revealed that children were able to use shared phonology of words—before they had developed extensive knowledge about their orthography—to recognize and produce cognates. In a...

Over the past 20 years there have been significant policy, research, and social emphases placed upon the importance of parent involvement in U.S. schools as a means for improving student achievement. This has resulted in an implicit definition of what constitutes involvement for all parents rather than an inductive understanding of what is occurrin...

We examined the language practices of five mother-child dyads during a structured play activity, particularly in relation to maternal question use. The study includes second-generation, four year-old children of Mexican immigrants who demonstrate either high vocabulary levels in English and Spanish or low-levels of vocabulary in both languages. Exa...

This case study examines one Honduran immigrant family’s community of practice during home literacy events. Data include field notes and audio and video recordings from six weeks of in-home observations. Coding and discourse analysis are used to analyse talk-in-interaction in order to understand how the family engages in literacy events. Family dis...