30 Apr · Karen Nemeth · One Comment
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 MORE24 Apr · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
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 …
READ MORE22 Oct · Karen Nemeth · 3 Comments
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 …
READ MORE2 Sep · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
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 – …
READ MORE12 May · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
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 …
READ MORE30 Mar · Karen Nemeth · 2 Comments
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 MORE11 Nov · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
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 MORE12 Sep · Karen Nemeth · No Comments
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.
READ MORE5 Sep · Karen Nemeth · 4 Comments
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!
READ MORE2 Jun · Karen Nemeth · 3 Comments
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.
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