Helping you provide better early education for dual language learners
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Language Castle LLC expert resources make it easy for administrators to create successful early childhood education programs for dual language learners.
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Meaningful Play in All Languages: A Universal Design Approach This workshop will use proactive Universal Design for Learning strategies to create a linguistically and culturally appropriate environment that encourages meaningful play for children who speak different languages. Participants will engage in hands-on demonstration and learn about current research-based strategies to address important learning outcomes in ...
Read MoreWhat early childhood educators need to succeed with DLLs
Here are the recommendations and resources I sent for consideration for NAEYC’s Power to the Profession initiative. I believe policy needs to say more about preparing monolingual and multilingual early childhood educators to teach children who are dual language learners. Karen Nemeth Here are a dozen reasons why: Most preschool teachers now (or in the ...
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Who is on your preschool’s diversity team?
By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. I think every preschool program should have a diversity team. Bring together staff, parents, and members of your community that speak the languages of the children in your classrooms so they can provide help and support in a variety of ways. Whether you have a very formal role for them ...
Read MoreThe “Magic 8” Preschool Practices Adapted for DLLs
By Karen Nemeth Have you read about the “Magic 8”? These are the eight practices that are most likely to build preschool student success, according to research by Dr. Dale Farran and her co-authors1,2,5.. They could provide great advantages for young children who are dual language learners, but how can they be applied in ...
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Considering Children who are DLLs in Emergency Planning Events in the news have many schools and programs taking a second look at their emergency plans. Let’s think what an emergency – or even a simple fire drill – must be like for a young child who doesn’t fully understand the language! Establish class buddies – ...
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Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood Education: A Federal Guidance Crosswalk
Twelve national reports and policy statements have been released over the past two years that provide recommendations for supporting dual language learners (DLLs) in early childhood. This crosswalk is designed to show how these recommendations can work together to support effective early childhood care and education. Column headings represent the components recommended by the various ...
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Resources for Supporting Diverse Infants and Toddlers in Connection with Early Childhood Language Development Standards
By Karen Nemeth May 11, 2017 Infants and toddlers thrive when all of their languages are supported. The diversity of those languages will continue to grow and present challenges to professionals who work with babies and their families. Some states are adopting early language development standards that begin at age 2 ½ years. How can ...
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Fast 5 Gamechangers: Yes, You CAN Support Any Home Language!
How many languages are spoken in your early childhood program? Most have 3 or more! New U.S. DOE and Head Start policies highlight the importance of supporting home languages and that can leave teachers feeling overwhelmed. How can you support so many different languages? We know you want to do what’s best for each ...
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To Build a Cohesive, High-quality Early Childhood System, You Have to Address Linguistic Diversity!
by Karen Nemeth In a recent blog post from the Brookings Institution, authors Bassok, Magnuson, and Weiland1 review the shortcomings of the current early childhood care and education system and make recommendations for changes in the field… without ever once mentioning the role of growing language diversity. Apparently, that’s my job. So, please get ...
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Handout from ACTFL 2016 Conference
Preschool and Kindergarten Language Learning: New Trends in TechnologyPresented by Karen Nemeth at ACTFL 2016 Karen@languagecastle.com www. Languagecastle.com Twitter @KarenNemethEdM Digital Decisions: Choosing the Right Technology Tools for Early Childhood Education by Fran S. Simon and Karen N. Nemeth http://amzn.to/2cPiWO3 TED Talk video by Dr. Patricia Kuhl: The Linguistic Genius of Babies https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=TED+linguistic+genius+of+babies&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 Apps that ...
Read MoreFast 5 Gamechangers Help Diverse Young Children Respect Each Other
Early childhood educators have the power to start early and start strong by helping all children learn to respect themselves and others. When children and teachers speak different languages, they need special strategies to build that life-changing sense of community. Pronounce each child’s name as closely as possible. Model for your DLLs and for ...
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Top Tips for Translating Materials for Preschool DLLs and Families
1. Say less!! Reach out to preschool DLLs and their families by paring down to the absolute minimum of messages and words needed to save money and time on translations.
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Big Ideas for Finding Books for Preschool DLLs
Need help finding books for preschool DLLs to support the home languages and cultures of your children? In this post I give you quick tips and deeper resources to help you keep the learning going!
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How can technology help diverse families? It’s in this new book!
Here’s how Chip Donohue announced his new book. It’s a privilege to include diversity in our chapter among these great experts! “I’m excited to announce the release of my second edited volume, Family Engagement in the Digital Age: Early Childhood Educators as Media Mentors co-published by Routledge and NAEYC The book includes a Foreword by Ellen ...
Read MoreFast 5 Gamechangers – Revolutionize Classroom Labels for DLLs!
Preschools have labels because they value ‘environmental print’. But… if no one reads the labels or talks about them, do they really help teach language and literacy?
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Cultural/Linguistic Responsiveness is NOT Enough for DLLs
Cultural and linguistic responsiveness is NOT enough to address the early learning needs of young children who are dual language learners. This infographic tells the story about what should be included in plans for preschool DLLs. Feel free to use it as a planning tool or an advocacy tool.
Read MoreWait a Year to Assess Preschool DLLs with Disabilities? No! And Here’s Why
I was asked by a district whether it was a good idea to wait for a preschool dual language learner to spend a year in English-only kindergarten before screening or assessing him for possible speech/language services. Here’s my answer along with relevant resources. photo by Bigstock.com 1. Full English immersion is not the best approach ...
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The D.A.P. Gap: Is Cute the Enemy of Quality?
By Karen N. Nemeth, Let’s be honest. Worksheets, cookie cutter craft activities, printables, and plastic manipulatives are widely reviled by early childhood education experts, yet they are widely available and often used in preschool and child care programs. At a recent luncheon with early childhood professional development providers and authors, we tried to sort out ...
Read MoreThe Importance of Being a Little More Inclusive
By Karen N. Nemeth How did you like the new book, The Importance of Being Little: What Preschoolers Really Need from Grownups, by Erika Christakis? It is so appealing that readers might not immediately realize what’s missing: there is no inclusion of diversity. This is not a book about all preschoolers – it is a ...
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Strategies that Work with Multiple Languages – A Resource Collection
We all know that the appearance of multiple languages and cultures is growing in early childhood education. In the past, children with different languages might have been the responsibility of a specialist like an ESL teacher or certified bilingual education teacher.
Read MoreCurated Learning Toy and Book Collections for DLLs via Amazon
We have received many requests for suggestions about learning materials for dual language learners (DLLs) that we thought we’d try setting up an Amazon A-Store. Click here to find recommended bilingual and multicultural toys, books and learning resources collected for specific kinds of classrooms or programs. We call it Language Castle Learning Store. You’ll find ...
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Naming the New, Inclusive Early Childhood Education: All Teachers Ready for DECAL!
by Karen N. Nemeth, Ed.M., Pam Brillante, Ed.D., and Leah J. Mullen, M.A. What do we need to see in early childhood education now and in the future? The days of fragmented programs where children and teachers are divided according to special needs and special skills are over. Silos don’t work. Isolating children and practitioners ...
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Ban the “Bears”! We Can Do Better in Preschool!
By Karen N. Nemeth, Ed.M., author and founder of Language Castle and Pamela Brillante, Ed.D., author and assistant professor of special education You know those colorful, plastic “bears”? We’re sure you do because they are in nearly every preschool classroom in the U.S. We think that’s a problem and we are about to tell you ...
Read MoreFast 5 Gamechangers that Make Early Ed. Professional Development Stick
The big question about expensive professional development for early childhood educators is: Will it stick? Will the time and expense result in lasting, meaningful change? Five quick questions can make all the difference. Don’t pay anyone to provide professional development for your early childhood education program without getting answers to these Fast 5 Questions. The really ...
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