An Examination of Kindergarten Oral Language for African American Students: Are There Meaningful Differences in Comparison to Peers?

Understanding differences in oral language abilities is vital, particularly for children from low-income homes and minority children who are at an increased risk for academic failure because of differences or deficits in language use or exposure before they enter school. The purpose of this study was to investigate oral language performance, including receptive and expressive vocabulary, grammar, and sentence imitation, among a diverse group of kindergarten students (n = 503). Using hierarchical linear modeling, we examined the contributions of student race, African American or non-African American, student socioeconomic status (SES), and schoolwide SES to oral language performance. In separate analyses, we found significant absolute effects of both race and individual SES. However, when analyzed simultaneously, only race was a significant predictor for all measures. We also found that both identification as African American and schoolwide SES were significant predictors of oral language performance. We discuss implications for practice and future research.