23 Mar · Karen Nemeth · No Comments

Win at Online Meetings When You are NOT Home Alone!

I have a LOT of experience presenting webinars and participating in conference calls when there are children around, so I’m sharing my insider secrets for success. We won’t mention the time that the cat brought a live bird in the house and the grandkids were screaming and chasing it around during my conference call …. …

24 Apr · Karen Nemeth · No Comments

What 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 …

22 Oct · Karen Nemeth · 3 Comments

The “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 …

16 May · Karen Nemeth · 3 Comments

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 …

improving early childhood with diversity

21 Dec · Karen Nemeth · No Comments

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 …

11 Nov · Karen Nemeth · No Comments

Fast 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 …

Cultural responsiveness is NOT enough for preschool DLLs

2 Jun · Karen Nemeth · 3 Comments

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.

18 May · Karen Nemeth · No Comments

Wait 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 …

14 Mar · Karen Nemeth · 11 Comments

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 …

24 Feb · Karen Nemeth · 2 Comments

The 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 …

Helping you provide better early education for dual language learners

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