by Karen Nemeth

No, really.  I’m asking you if you are serious about being an advocate for preschool DLLs.  Because getting serious means we have to go beyond occasional events and start weaving awareness of DLLs into everyday actions.  There’s a lot of  talk about preschool initiatives right now so what we do and say about young children who are growing up with multiple languages is critical right now! Here are some of the strategies I use.   Please feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments!

Karen Nemeth and Monica Schnee getting serious about advocacy at NJTESOL/NJBE conference

1. Talk the data and quote the expert estimates that about 25% of preschool-aged children in the US come from homes where a language other than English is spoken (more than 30% of those enrolled in Head Starts).  In general, the percentage of young children who are DLLs is greater than the percentage of children that have special needs – so we should be paying at least as much funding and attention to ensuring success for DLLs, don’t you think?
2. Know the languages in your area. It matters. Not all DLLs are alike.  Not all Hispanic families are alike. Not all Spanish is the same.  People from India don’t all speak “Indian”. It’s got to be about real, individual people and getting to know them and being able to tell their real, human stories. (more…)

by Karen Nemeth

Marc Björkman and I created a new bilingual app for early childhood teachers of DLLs.  20 Welcome Words let’s teachers hear and see the top 20 words/phrases they need to communicate with new children who don’t speak their language.  Right now it’s available in English and Spanish – with more languages coming soon.  It is great to see a project through from a twinkle in our eye to a real product in the market – and all the more rewarding because we believe it will make a difference in the lives of young DLLs and their teachers.  But the app development process is no piece of cake!  We wrote about it in a blog post for www.ecetech.net.  Check it out!

By Karen Nemeth

So, you want to be an early childhood author?  I did a lot of writing before I woke up one day and realized, “Hey, I AM an author!”.   This month, I was asked to participate in an author’s forum at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) national conference.  That experience made me figure out how to tell other people how I write things that get published.  So, I put together some information.

Tip #1:  If you put together some information that people appreciate…. That’s what you should publish!

Tip #2 – Find your passion.  What do you get excited about when the subject comes up in conversation?  (more…)

By Karen Nemeth

Several key resources are available to help you make sense of state … and federal …. policies that govern how supports and educational programs are provided for young children who are dual language learners.  A new report has been released by CLASP : State Child Care Policies for Limited English Proficient Families covers one aspect of the field – but does not address most programs run by departments of education.  Head Start’s Center for Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness offers an interactive page that organizes  information about state standards and guidelines on teaching DLLs, but not necessarily in all departments.  National Council of LaRaza has posted a data search tool called Latino Kids Data Explorer which does not cover any other language group.  I wrote a piece for Colorin Colorado that will help you make sense of all this (I hope)  State Policies on Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood. Stay tuned to this blog for future articles on how you can use these information sources for grantwriting, publishing, and advocacy efforts!  Please feel free to add your own resource suggestions to this collection.

by Karen Nemeth

If you knew my mom, Ty Nelson, these pictures wouldn’t surprise you.  But, if you know my work now, would you have guessed I had a mom like that?  She had a sweater or vest for every season and holiday!  I hope reading this will bring up all kinds of memories for you – so please comment and share your memories of early childhood education… and my mom!

Today I arrived at the National Association for the Education of Young Children

Annual Conference & Expo (NAEYC) in Atlanta.  Last time I was here for the NAEYC conference, my mom was here, too!  My mom was a member of NAEYC in the 60s.  She was a nursery school teacher for about 50 years – because when she retired, she started right in the as the volunteer Music Lady at the same Packanack Cooperative Nursery School where she taught, where my brother and I attended, and where my daughters also attended. When she passed away in 2007, many grownups were there to share their memories of my mom as their first teacher – and they brought their children who also knew my mom as the Music Lady. (more…)

by Karen Nemeth

Language is like a cake.  We love cake because of the way the ingredients are combined – not because of the separate ingredients.  The more we learn about first and second language development, the more important those combinations of ingredients become. (more…)

By Karen Nemeth

This post is meant for teachers of all grades who will greet children who speak languages other than English into class this year.  I usually focus on preschool, but we gathered a lot of great suggestions that apply to all ages when we discussed this topic on our weekly Twitter chat – #ELLCHAT.  (I hope you’ll join in the chat – coordinated by well-known author @JudieHaynes. We talk about specified ELL topics every Monday 9:00 pm Eastern time.)

The first day of school is a big adjustment for students of all ages – AND their teachers.  But what must it be like for the child who is new to school and new to the language? Certainly, what happens on that very first day can set the stage for a smooth adjustment.  A difficult first day may start the child’s new school experience off on the wrong foot.  With thanks to my #ELLCHAT colleagues, here are some
strategies you can use to make a new ELL feel welcome, comfortable, and ready for school: (more…)

by Karen Nemeth

10.  Find out the languages you will have in your class and if you can’t find out for sure – make a good guess based on last year, languages in community etc.

9. Learn the correct pronunciation of each child’s name so the feel supported and respected on the first day of school.

8.  Get some high quality bilingual books.  Many early childhood catalogs now supply them.

7.  Get bilingual apps or websites to supplement your collection such as analomba.com or icdlbooks.org.

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by Karen Nemeth

What does technology have to do with teaching young DLLs?? I think it is a critical part of our conversation. Android and iPad apps, iTunes, computer games, mp3 players, digital photography, Skype and internet access are all being used in multilingual early childhood programs to find, translate, connect and create! I participated in the new survey by the Early Childhood Technology Collaborative to learn more about how early childhood teachers were using technology to meet the needs of children who speak different languages in their programs.  Here is a report on the new survey results.

In the Early Childhood Technology Today 2012 survey, about half of the respondents who use technology in their programs use it to meet the needs of DLLs.  So now we have to ask two main questions:  1 – if so many people are already turning to technology solutions to meet growing and diversifying language needs, are there enough high quality technology solutions available out there?  We’d love to hear from you about what you are using – please let us know via comments!  and 2 – Why are half of the people who use technology in early education saying they do NOT use it to meet the needs of dual language learners?  How can we do more to share the resources we do know about?

A second round of the survey is now open – asking just teachers of children ages 2 – 8 years to tell us more about how they do or do not use technology in their work.  Please share this survey link with all the teachers you know!

Top Ten Factors for Successful Professional Development!

by Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.

A large part of my work is doing professional development about teaching young DLLs.  I’ve traveled the country and worked with hundreds of programs.  I am always mindful that my visit is so temporary, but what happens in each program before and after I arrive is what will really make or break the success of my presentation.

A great presenter can only go so far if the stage is not set for a commitment to learning.  A great administrator can spend a lot of money on professional development, but will be disappointed if that stage is not set.

If you are an administrator,  this list is absolutely essential for you.  Using it will undoubtedly help you to get more value from every professional development dollar you spend.

If you are a professional development provider, use this list to help your clients get the results they are hoping for when they pay for your expertise.

So here is what leaders need to know to make professional development successful!

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The Meaning of Meaning in Second Language Learning

By Karen Nemeth

This week in my workshops we discussed some differences between the language environment of a baby learning L1 and the experiences of an older child learning L2. In the whole first year of life, parents and caregivers talk to infants about what’s happening currently in their surroundings.   They sing songs with rhythm, rhyme and repetition.  They read stories with pictures that connect to the words.  They talk about the books, toys, and items in the home and outdoors that really seem to capture the child’s attention.  A preverbal infant will quickly train adults to respond to their interests.  Have you ever tried to read a story to a squirmy 9 month old when they are not interested????

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UPDATE!!

It was just announced a few days ago by Lesli Maxwell on the EdWeek Learning the Language Blog that Dr. Rosalinda Barrera has stepped down from her position as director at OELA.  Now we really have pay attention to what OELA does next and whether the staff will continue to address the critical issues around ELLs in early childhood education. Get your advocacy muscles ready to flex!

The U.S. Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA), under the direction of Dr. Rosalinda Barrera, is moving forward with new supports for our field.  Here are some key elements of their new message:

In the September 21, 2011 report “Issues from the National Conversations on Educating English Language Learners for the 21^st Century” from Dr. Rosalinda Barrera, director of the Office of English Language Acquisition, included these points about early learning:

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Response to “Early Care and Education for Children in Immigrant Families”

This article by Lynn A. Karoly and Gabriella C. Gonzalez in the Spring 2011 issue of the Future of Children journal, provides some solid information about the participation of immigrant children in different types of early care and education.   The authors analyze how factors like poverty and parental education influence participation.  They conclude with policy recommendations designed to reduce the achievement gap.  I appreciate this article, but I have on major concern to raise here.

The authors talk at length about the importance of providing high quality early education to children who face disadvantages and to children in immigrant families.  (more…)

A Dozen Myths about Meeting the Language Needs of Young Children

By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.

Today I asked the audience how many of these myths they have encountered.  The discussion actually led them to assess their own knowledge and beliefs about planning language supports for early childhood education.  Have you seen these myths in action?  Can you suggest some resources that would help to debunk these myths?

1. A bilingual ed teacher’s job description does not include doing any teaching in English.
2. A child with special needs should only be taught in one language to avoid confusing him. (more…)

By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.

Truth is I don’t have a magic answer to the many questions about how preschool children should be screened and assessed when they speak languages other than English and Spanish. But I do have an honest opinion based on my reading of current information from top sources. So – I’ll share my opinion and resources with you here and see if you would like to weigh in and share your own views.
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by Karen Nemeth

Have you observed an early childhood teacher who does a lot of talking as she moves around, multitasking throughout the day? She’ll call out, “That’s a nice tower! I like how you guys are sharing” as she is wiping down tables on the other side of the room, or “Keep the playdough on the table. Look at those beautiful balls and snakes!” as she walks by the art table and opens the closet. If you are just listening, you may hear a lot of high quality language going on. If you take a closer look you’ll find something is missing. Children may be hearing interesting words, but how do they know what connections to make with those words?

This is what I call “driveby teaching” I may have invented the term, but everyone seems to know it when they see it. “Driveby teaching” happens when teachers talk while moving around the room without taking the time to see that the children make the right connections with the words being used. It can even be as simple as going on and on about ants on the playground without realizing that the child is looking up at some birds flying overhead. “Driveby teaching” is kind of like reading a storybook to your class while running in circles so they can’t see the pictures.
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By Karen Nemeth

Don’t wait – I think you can find Superman in the heart of every great preschool teacher!

Based on what I’ve been reading lately, the real question is how are we going to release the superpowers of preschool teachers so they can ensure the best possible start for all of the young children they teach?  Yes – all of the children.  Not just the ones who speak English.  Not just the ones who are easy.  All of them.

I think the key to making early education effective for the 25% of our under 6 population who come from different languages lies in bringing teacher-child interactions into focus.

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Professional Development Secret Weapons – Early Childhood Language and Cultural Diversity

By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M.

These professional development resources are so useful – I’m starting to feel a little guilty about keeping them to myself!  If you’ve attended my workshops, you’ve seen how I use them.  Anyone who does presentations about early childhood education focusing on diversity in language and culture will find lots of ways to use these.  Please come back and share your success stories here or on my facebook page: Karen Nemeth at Language Castle LLC.  I’m a firm believer in paying it forward!

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