Building Strong Language Foundations in Early Head Start
by Judith R. Cruzado-Guerrero
What practices can Early Head Start (EHS) programs implement to support the home languages and cultures of the families and to support the infants and toddlers who are English language learners? The Early Head Start National Resource Center @ ZERO TO THREE (2001) makes the following recommendations. They parallel the Head Start Program Performance Standards which EHS programs are required to implement.
The recommended practices for EHS programs are to:
- Involve parents and families in sharing
their language and culture through a range of activities at home
and in the program.
- Collaborate with community partners as
well as state and local programs that work closely with culturally
and linguistically diverse families. Ask for volunteers who share
the same culture and language of the children to spend some time
in the classroom.
- Communicate with the families in a variety
of ways using different language approaches and resources. Provide
both written and verbal communication, and whenever possible,
translate into the home languages. Keep them informed about the
best practices for supporting language development.
- Encourage parents to share music, songs,
and stories for children that are from other cultures and in
different languages.
- Use visual images (such as books, posters,
and photos), furnishings, toys, and foods that reflect the
cultural diversity of the families.
- Communicate with children in a variety of
ways using their home language. Hire and train qualified bilingual
caregivers BUT if the caregiver does not speak the child’s home
language, search for resources (songs, toys) that help the infant
or toddler feel at home.
- Involve all parents in curriculum
development. Ensure that the curriculum is individualized to
support the language goal that parents have identified for their
children. For example, is the goal to learn the home language
first, to learn English first, or to learn both simultaneously?
- Conduct dual-language assessments when
necessary to obtain accurate information about the child’s
progress. Include ongoing, systematic observations of the
children’s behavior and language.
- Respect, value, and promote the home languages and cultures for the ultimate development and learning of the children (NAEYC 1995).
REFERENCES
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
1995. Responding to linguistic and cultural diversity: Recommendations
for effective early childhood education. Washington, D.C.:
Author. Available at www.naeyc.org.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. Prepared by Early Head Start National Resource Center @ ZERO TO THREE. 2001. Linguistic diversity and early literacy: Serving culturally diverse families in Early Head Start. Technical Paper No. 5. Washington, D.C.: Author. Available at www.ehsnrc.org.
Judith Cruzado-Guerrero is an Assistant Professor, School of Education, Bowie State University, MD.
T: 301-860-3307; E: jguerrero@bowiestate.edu
