Helping you provide better early education for dual language learners
30 Apr · Karen Nemeth · One Comment
Fast 5 Gamechangers Empower DLLs With Conversations!
Perhaps the best kind of teacher talk might be less teacher talk! All through college and professional development experiences, teachers learn what to say to children. But, one of the greatest gifts you can give to young learners, especially DLLs, is to step back and let the children do the talking. Research continues to show …
READ MORE30 Mar · Karen Nemeth · 2 Comments
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 …
READ MORE13 Feb · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
Fast 5 Gamechangers to Support Math Learning for Young DLLs
by Karen Nemeth There’s nothing boring about math but some math activities CAN be boring or hard to understand. This is especially true for children who are dual language learners. They really need math activities that are embedded in meaningful contexts that interest them to help them understand. Using empty plastic, paper or worksheet items …
READ MORE2 Feb · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
Fast 5 Gamechangers for Using Bilingual Alphabets
We want all preschool children to start learning the alphabet. That’s not always easy when they come to preschool with different language backgrounds. It can be confusing for a Spanish speaker to see a picture of “una manzana” (Spanish word for apple) next to the letter A while the other kids are saying “aaah”. This multilingual …
READ MORE11 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 …
READ MORE18 Jun · Karen Nemeth · 2 Comments
Fast 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?
READ MORE22 Jan · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
Fast 5 Gamechangers for Cultural Connections in Early Childhood Education
We all know the importance of connecting with young children by understanding who they are and what’s important to them. Real cultural connections for DLLs go way beyond plastic food, flags, or posters about holidays. Here are some ways to make intentional, authentic, personal connections that help dual language learners:
READ MORE29 Aug · Karen Nemeth · One Comment
Fast 5 Gamechangers- Preschool Science Learning for DLLs
Science is a great subject for early learning because it is hands-on and includes language, literacy, math, and other learning domains. But, how can teachers make science learning meaningful for children who don’t speak the same language?
READ MORE30 Jan · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
Fast 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 …
READ MORE23 Oct · Karen Nemeth · 4 Comments
Fast 5 Gamechangers that Build Language Quality for DLLs!
by Karen Nemeth Have you seen the articles focusing on language quality this week? In the New York Times on October 16, 2014 we read about Kathy Hirsh-Pasek’s research in Quality of Words, Not Quantity, Is Crucial to Language Skills, Study Says. Researchers are making a powerful case that, for children under the age of 6, …
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