The purpose of this study was to describe the first and second language literacy levels of a sample of 222 Turkish children living in the Netherlands and to identify the factors that are related to individual variation in their literacy performance. Measures of both school literacy and functional literacy were taken in the target languages, Turkish and Dutch. Data of monolingual control groups were used as benchmarks. To explore individual variation in biliteracy scores, background characteristics originating from the child, the family, and the school were examined. The results of the study indicated that the children in the Netherlands attained lower levels of literacy than their monolingual peers. The level of biliteracy of the children in the Netherlands turned out to be primarily related to the factors of home stimulation, parents' motivation for schooling, and children's self-esteem.

The current study examined academic language (AL) input of mothers and teachers to 15 monolingual Dutch and 15 bilingual Turkish-Dutch 4-to 6-year-old children and its relationships with the children's language development. At two times, shared book reading was videotaped and analyzed for academic features: lexical diversity, syntactic complexity, and abstractness. The AL features in the input of mothers varied considerably among individuals, were strongly intercorrelated and stable over time, and were positively related to children's language skills. For Turkish children, input in Turkish was related to vocabulary in Dutch as well. Compared to mothers, teachers provided input that was more academic. The teachers of the Turkish group used more abstract language but relatively less lexically diverse and syntactically complex talk than the teachers of the Dutch group. By simplifying their language lexically and syntactically, teachers might provide impoverished input to children learning Dutch as a second language.Keywords academic language; shared reading; bilingual development; caretakers' input The research reported here is part of the Development of Academic Language in School and at Home (DASH) project, a joint research project of the Universities of Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Tilburg. The project was coordinated by Paul Leseman (Utrecht University) and funded by the Programme for Educational Research of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (dossier number 411-03-060). We are grateful to the teachers, parents, and children who participated in this research and to our coworkers in the project: Paul Leseman, Ton Vallen, Rob Schoonen, Aziza Mayo, Anna Scheele, and Mohammadi Laghzaoui.Correspondence IntroductionWhen children enter primary school (kindergarten) at the age of 4 (as is the case in the Netherlands), they have to get acquainted with a new language register: academic language (AL), that is, the language register that is highly valued in school contexts and that shares many linguistic features with the language in instruction situations and textbooks in education (Aarts, Demir, & Vallen, 2011;Cummins, 1984;Schleppegrell, 2004; Snow & Uccelli, 2009). Though AL is a register specific to school contexts, early traces or precursors of the academic register can be found in preschool caregiver-child interaction. The emergence of AL can be seen as a mediating link between home language and literacy practices and (later) school achievement (Leseman, Scheele, Mayo, & Messer, 2007). Children from immigrant minority groups, like Turkish children in the Netherlands, are facing a double challenge here. First, they need to learn the specific AL register and, second, they are expected to do so in a language that is not their native one. Thus, one of the explanations for the problems children frequently encounter in school can be found in a lack of experience with the language register that is needed for school success (Aarts et al., 2011;Bernstein, 1971;Cummins, 1991;Heath, 1983;Hoff-Ginsberg, 1991;Lacroi...

This article aims at validating a coding scheme designed to investigate the precursors of academic language occurring in early caretaker‐child interactions. Exposure to the academic dimensions of language is an important asset for children to be successful in academic settings. The proposed analytical framework, based on systemic functional linguistics and usage‐based theories and informed by research on the language of school, is useful for assessing caretaker‐child interaction in different languages at home and in schools. The coding scheme is validated by providing interactional data of 15 Turkish mother‐child dyads. A large variation was found in the extent to which academic language features are present in the input, partly related to the socioeconomic status and literacy levels of the mothers. A book reading setting fosters the academic level of maternal input.

The present study examined lexical richness in maternal input to Turkish preschool children in the Netherlands and the relationship with their vocabulary. Fifteen Turkish mother-child dyads were videotaped at the age of 3 and 4 in three settings: book reading, picture description and block building. Children's vocabulary in Turkish was measured at the age of 3 and 4 and in Dutch at the age of 5;10. The lexical richness of the input was analysed both quantitatively (tokens) and qualitatively on diversity, density, and sophistication. The results indicate that lexical richness varied largely among mothers, which could partially be attributed to their SES levels and literacy practices. Furthermore, lexical richness differed between the settings, with the highest richness in the book setting. More importantly, lexical richness in maternal input related to the vocabulary of children in L1 (Turkish) and in the longer run also to L2 (Dutch). Quality of the input (diversity, density and sophistication) turned out to be more influential than quantity.

The first years in the teaching profession are often a challenge and most beginning teachers struggle with concerns. To support beginning teachers, induction programmes have been developed which should lead to an acceleration of growth in teaching skills and prevent drop-out. In this study, we explore the concerns of beginning teachers in secondary education and the support provided. Nineteen teachers in their first and 16 teachers in their second year of employment were questioned. Results show that first year teachers are mainly concerned about their lessons, but later the focus is moving inward to their professional teacher role and outward to the school organisation. The concerns of beginning teachers are being dealt with in a variety of support activities without a direct link between the two. Nevertheless, teachers seem to be able to cope if provided with sufficient support, a coach they can relate to and possibilities for informal feedback.