Teaching DLLs in PreK – 3rd Grade: Best Practices for School Readiness

by Karen Nemeth

In August, a newly updated report by Dr. Linda Espinosa clearly explains what the research tells us about working effectively with young dual language learners (children who are growing up bilingual).  Five years ago the first version of this report was released and I wrote my first book, Many Languages, One Classroom, to show educators how to put the research to work every day with best classroom practices.

Dr. Espinosa wrote the foreword for my book, saying: 

“One of the strengths of Many Languages, One Classroom is the concrete, practical nature of the strategies.  The materials, activities, links, and extensions contain excellent suggestions for all early childhood educators, but are especially important for those working with children who are learning English as a second language. “   and

“… this book will contribute to the bridging of the research world with the reality of practitioners who need research-based curriculum guidance…”

Now – Dr. Espinosa has updated that report, PreK – 3rd: Challenging Common Myths About Dual Language Learners, and the strategies in my book are right in line with the new research findings.  I have worked with colleagues to create additional resources to help early childhood programs follow the advice of the research.

To follow the recommendation to encourage parents to support early literacy in the home language, try this letter to parents which is provided in English and Spanish, and comes with an English/Spanish tip sheet in an easy to read format.

To follow the recommendation to provide a welcoming environment for DLLs from their first day in school, try our bilingual iPad/iPhone app 20 Welcome Words .

And if you are a teacher educator, professor, or trainer – you can use the resources in this kit, Getting Teachers Ready to Teach Young DLLs to easily update your courses and presentations to address the recommendations in Dr. Espinosa’s report.

If you need more resources or have resources to share – please join in with comments!