Psychology

Dual-Language Education for Low-Income Children: Preliminary Evidence of Benefits for Executive Function

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This investigation is an initial examination of possible enhancement of executive function through a dual-language (50:50) education model. The ethnically diverse, low-income sample of 120 children from Grades K, 2, and 4 consisted of approximately equal numbers of children enrolled in dual-language and traditional classrooms. Dual-language students in Grades 2 and 4 performed better on a measure from the Trail Making Task requiring inhibition and rule-switching. The results indicate that the established benefits of bilingual exposure can be generalized across SES and ethnicity and can be acquired within the context of elementary school programs. © 2013 Copyright the National Association for Bilingual Education.

Publication Title

Bilingual Research Journal

Publication Date

10-1-2013

Volume

36

Issue

3

First Page

295

Last Page

310

ISSN

1523-5882

DOI

10.1080/15235882.2013.837848

Keywords

bilingual education, low-income students, executive function, elementary schools, approximation theory, educational programs, elementary education, elementary and secondary schools

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