A Comparison of the Early Language and Literacy Skills of Migrant Versus Nonmigrant Preschool Children: A Pilot Study

This pilot study reports on data drawn from migrant Hispanic families enrolled in a 4-year Migrant Education Even Start project and a comparison group of nonmigrant Hispanic families. The study was designed to examine child- and family-based risk factors known to imperil literacy outcomes. Four notable findings emerged from this study. First, compared to nonmigrants, migrant preschoolers come from homes with less adult and child exposure to home-based literacy materials with existing parent-child literacy activities primarily in Spanish. Second, migrant preschoolers demonstrated marked deficits in oral language development even when tested in Spanish, their home language. Third, the disparities between migrant and nonmigrant preschoolers were also present in preliteracy and prereading skills. Finally, partial support was found for the comprehensive language approach to understanding early literacy development. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed as well as suggestions for further research.