This study attempts to determine relationships between the home experience and English language abilities of first grade children from three ethnic groups of varying socioeconomic status (SES) and degrees of bilingualism. The sample consisted of 155 first graders from Navajo and Pueblo Indian communities and from rural Spanish American homes who were grouped according to their SES and Language Model Type (language spoken in the home). Scores were given each child for such language modeling sources as the mother, older siblings, and television, and for such language modeling contexts as speech correction and normal social situations (mealtime) as well as for the total interaction of source and context in his home. These scores were analyzed, and findings indicated that (1) language modeling, which varied with ethnicity, SES, and Language Model Type, was predictive of English language ability, (2) the quantity of verbal interaction in the home increased with acculturation and particularly with SES, (3) a significant relationship existed between the English language ability of the child and the language modeling by the mother, and (4) since mother-child interaction is a middle-class phenomenon, programs should be instigated to promote verbal interaction, acculturation, and SES in non-middle-class homes. (Author/JB)