3A) Labels in home language
Include labels and other functional print in the home language. Make sure home language print is viewed as “equal” to English print (e.g., make labels the same size in both languages).
Video: Integrating Home Culture and Language in Learning Activities and Environments
This video provides examples for what educators can do to create a supportive classroom environment for Multilingual Learners. Activities can provide opportunities for MLs and their families to learn about other cultures. Materials (dolls, labeling, books) should celebrate and represent the diversity of the children in the classroom.Read More
Video: Key Practices That Support Language Development—Particularly for Young Dual Language Learners
This video provides examples of key practices that support language development for young Dual Language Learners, as shared by dual language experts and educators. Practices focus on creating a supportive classroom environment by inviting children to participate in extended conversations, offering a variety of language experiences, and supporting vocabulary development through the use of labels.Read More
Strategy Overview: Promoting a Sense of Identity
This strategy outlines ways teachers can work with families to promote children's sense of identity, connection to home language and culture, plus respect for diversity.Read More
Blog: Usable Knowledge- Multilingual Preschoolers
In this blog teachers are offered quick tips on how to create a classroom environment that supports the special needs of Multilingual preschoolers.Read More
Article: Supporting Language: Culturally Rich Dramatic Play
This article reviews how teachers of Multilingual learners can set up culturally responsive dramatic play areas to maximize language learning opportunities.Read More
Blog: Revolutionize Classroom Labels
This short blog offers 5 different strategies to push instruction “beyond the classroom label” and encourage interaction and engagement with bilingual classroom labels.Read More
Article: Classroom labels that young children can use: Enhancing biliteracy development in a dual language classroom
This article reviews numerous ways that labels in the dual language classroom can be co-created and interactive. These supports help Multilingual learners make sense of the classroom environment and develop language.Read More
Video: A Meeting At School
In this video, parents come into the classroom to help with a family project and discuss the language preferences of their children with the teacher. Collecting this type of information and exchanging language development goals for the child is key to partnering with families.Read More
Video: Engaging with Text and Narrative
This video begins by highlighting chants, songs, and intentional conversation that teachers facilitate to help young Multilingual Learners (MLs) to develop oral language. Further examples demonstrate how oral language can then transfer to written language and early reading opportunities. It is important for MLs to use developing literacy skills in authentic, print-rich learning contexts, where they feel ownership for their learning and knowledge.Read More
Blog Series: Beginning with Biliteracy-A Kindergarten Story
This series includes 10 blog posts that share information from a bilingual Kindergarten classroom perspective. Some posts are written in English and some in Spanish. They cover topics such as setting up a biliteracy classroom environment, making language connections and bridges for young learners, and instructional strategies for biliteracy.Read More
Strategy Overview: Ensuring the Presence of Each Child’s Language
This resource provides a comprehensive list and explanation of the actions teachers can take to acknowledge, affirm, and support multiple languages in the classroom. Included are tips for engaging with families as "language experts" and capturing their linguistic knowledge on a planning template, and phrase cards with basic greetings in 10 common home languages.Read More
Checklist: Supporting Emergent Bilingual Children in Early Learning
This checklist provides teachers with several strategies to support Multilingual Learners by providing students with a rich classroom environment that builds their home language and English skills. This resource encourages teachers to consider how to add labels, images, culturally relevant materials to the classroom for children to engage with. This checklist also provides a list of extra resources to learn more about supporting bilingualism, and is available in Spanish and Chinese.Read More
Tip Sheet: Creating Environments that Include Children’s Home Languages and Cultures
This tip sheet provides guidance on how to set up the physical environment to include children’s home languages and culturally relevant materials. This tip sheet also provides examples of labels and materials to include in classrooms and why including these materials is important for Multilingual Learners.Read More
Website: Environment and Materials to Support Dual Language Learners
This resource describes the ways that teachers can set up their classroom environments to support Multilingual Learners. For example, teachers can include labels and other functional print in the home language and display and provide culturally relevant materials.Read More
Webinar: Supporting Dual Language Learners in the PreK Classroom
In this webinar, presenters discuss several strategies for supporting Multilingual Learners’ oral language and literacy development. Strategies include gathering information on children’s language and cultural background from families and talking with them about their language and learning goals for their children. Presenters also discuss how to display labels and functional print in multiple languages in the classroom, select content-specific words from texts and incorporate them into instruction, incorporate songs, and engage in interactive reading.Read More
App: Ready DLL
This mobile app is a comprehensive resource that teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners. It includes specific guidance on including labels and other functional print in both languages, engaging in interactive reading, and integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking in multiple languages. The app also helps teachers learn key words and phrases in children’s home languages (Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole), and provides links to articles, tip sheets, videos, and webinars.Read More
Video: Personalizing Instruction through Environmental Supports
This resource explains several ways that teachers can provide high-quality language support materials. For example, teachers can display culturally relevant materials and labels in each language. Teachers can also learn key words and phrases in children’s home languages, including cognates, to emphasize the connection between English and the home language.Read More
Photo: Personalized Oral Language Learning (POLL) Boards
This resource shows photos of boards that include several oral language strategies. Boards include functional print in the home language and in English.Read More
