Welcoming-Bilingual-Learners-with-Disabilities-into-Dual-Language-Programs
Welcoming-Bilingual-Learners-with-Disabilities-into-Dual-Language-Programs
This white paper reviews evidence concerning the capacity of young learners with disabilities to acquire more than one language during the preschool and school years and the characteristics of dual language programs and classroom instruction and intervention practices that support their language development, learning, and well-being in school.
Head Start ECLKC: Partnering with Families of Children Who Are Dual Language Learners
Families are their children’s first educators. From birth, families nurture their children to be healthy and successful in school and in life. Head Start and Early Head Start program staff share these goals and partner with families as they work to meet these goals. There are unique ways in which these partnerships matter for children who speak languages other than English. Young children can thrive when families and staff partner closely to support home languages, and embrace families’ cultures and traditions.
Head Start ECLKC: The Big Five for Children with Disabilities Who Are Dual Language Learners
High-quality language and literacy experiences in early childhood lay the foundation for all children’s development and learning. These resources offer practices to help education staff plan more individualized and culturally and linguistically responsive learning experiences for young children who have disabilities or suspected delays and are dual language learners (DLLs). Meeting the individual needs of children supports equitable learning and helps create high-quality inclusion environments that promote a sense of belonging for all children.
Practitioner Brief: Culturally Responsive Practices to Collaborate with Families
This brief from the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations uses a vignette featuring a child who has autism spectrum disorder and whose family is from Vietnam to demonstrate effective strategies for collaborating with families from other cultures.
High Quality Infant and Toddler Care: Supporting Children’s and Families’ Diverse Languages (Video)
- In order for optimal development to take place during these critical first 3 years of life and beyond, educators of young children need to meet children where they are and foster their continued learning and development. This means caring for them in ways that respect the children’s and families’ diverse cultures, languages, lifestyles, preferences, abilities, learning styles, and needs. The Magical Years Early Childhood Center in Sunset Park – a socioeconomically and culturally/linguistically diverse neighborhood in southwest Brooklyn NY – exemplifies practices and policies that do this.
- Use these guiding questions to help facilitate discussion around this video.
Head Start ECLKC: Multi-cultural Principles for Early Childhood Leaders
The 2023 edition of Multicultural Principles for Early Childhood Leaders builds on growing research about how race, ethnicity, ability, gender, and socio-economic status influence young children’s learning. These influences can impact the practices, policies, and systems of early learning programs and the parent-child relationship.
In the 15 years since the last publication, research literature in child development, equity, and inclusion has grown significantly. This edition builds on the time-tested strength of the original principles, updating the language and organizational structure to support and use the principles in daily practice.
An equity-focused mindset and culturally sustaining practices are integrated throughout the Multicultural Principles. An equity-focused mindset includes both an awareness of the historical and current injustices, discrimination, and barriers faced by disproportionately marginalized communities. It also requires a commitment to respond in ways that disrupt these inequities.
Find out about the three action categories: Explore, Nurture, and Grow. These three actions describe what Head Start leaders and staff can do to ensure program services embrace and use the principles in everyday practice. The actions encourage:
- Learning from and about one another
- Building understanding and appreciation of the culture, traditions, and values of others
- Supporting inclusive and equitable practice
OSEP Fast Facts: Students with Disabilities Who are English Language Learners
National statistics associated with students with disabilities who are English language learners served under IDEA Part B are presented here along with the percentage change from 2012 by state.
Honoring Family Culture in Early Intervention
“This two-part video series describes and illustrates how Amigo Baby, an early intervention program in Ventura, California, provides virtual home visiting services that are culturally and linguistically sensitive and responsive to Latinx families, including both Spanish-speaking and migrant indigenous families who speak Mixteco. The videos include insightful interviews with the program director, an early interventionist, an occupational therapist, and parents along with illustrative recordings of virtual home visits.”
“Part 1: Isai and Eliel’s Story, 13:31 describes strategies for being responsive to families’ language and culture; the use of culturally appropriate communicators; working with all family members; using a team approach; being flexible and following the family’s lead; and the use of a coaching approach.” Download Video
Teaching Dual Language Learners: What Early Childhood Educators Need to Know
As the number of dual language learners (DLLs) in early childhood settings continues to rise, educators need to know how to teach, engage, and assess children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They’ll have the effective strategies they need with this timely book, a reader‐friendly guide that expertly connects research to practice for teachers of young DLLs.
Early childhood educators will start with a detailed review of the demographics of today’s DLLs and the latest research findings on supporting the learning and development of bilingual and multilingual children. Then they’ll find practical guidance on the best instructional and assessment practices to integrate into their classrooms. Throughout the book, five in‐depth case studies of diverse children highlight the importance of considering each child’s background, skills, and home experiences when designing effective learning environments.
Free Excerpt-Chapter One (PDF)
English Learners with Disabilities
In August 2016, the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 2785 (Chapter 579, Statutes of 2016) calling upon the California Department of Education (CDE) to develop a manual that provides guidance to teachers and specialists in grades transitional kindergarten (TK)/K–12 to help them appropriately identify and support English Learners (ELs) with disabilities.
In response, the CDE developed the California Practitioners’ Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities (PDF; 3MB) to provide information on identifying, assessing, supporting, and reclassifying ELs who may qualify for special education services and pupils with disabilities who may be classified as ELs. The manual or guide will also assist leaders in developing and implementing policies and practices related to ELs with disabilities.