By analyzing data from a randomized, longitudinal study, this dissertation analyzed the effectiveness of a literacy curriculum that provided clearly defined opportunities for Spanish-speaking preschool children in a Head Start program (N = 76) to develop their writing abilities in English. Children were posttested on writing skills and conceptions of print after the preschool intervention. Additionally, children (N = 43) were followed from preschool to kindergarten, and posttested on their early writing skills and concepts of print after 2 months of instruction. The research was based on preliminary findings that demonstrated statistically significant gains in English and Spanish writing in the treatment group, when compared to the control group at the end of a 10-week intervention. To develop early reading and writing skills, the literacy curriculum addressed print concepts, storytelling, and writing, through motivating and creative activities. The study also addressed English language acquisition by providing instruction in the child's first language (Spanish) for learning new concepts, while simultaneously incorporating new vocabulary in English. Results from this dissertation indicate that: 1. Children who received the literacy curriculum performed statistically significantly better than children in the control group in measures of English and Spanish writing after 2 months of kindergarten instruction. 2. Children's initial vocabulary level predicted English writing skills at the end of preschool. (author abstract)