Blog

The Preschool Language Blender

By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. I recently visited a childcare center that had five preschool classrooms. There were children who spoke eight different languages and adults who spoke only three of those languages. The director had...

Meeting the Early Learning Needs of ALL Children – Not Just the Ones Who Show Up

By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. If you are reading this, you must be interested in early childhood education.  Now, here’s the question at the core of this post:  “Have you given any thought to the children...

High Quality Preschool – Outside School Walls

By Karen Nemeth, Ed.M. My last blog, “Meeting the Early Learning Needs of ALL Children  – Not Just the Ones Who Show Up”, generated some important questions from readers, and I promised some answers.  How...

Home Visiting Can Bolster High Quality Preschool Efforts

By Karen Nemeth I blogged about my concern that high quality preschool is failing to reach some of the neediest children who can’t make it to a program every day. My main emphasis is always...

Bringing Education to the Homes of Young Children – Blog Part 4

By Karen Nemeth Ed.M. In 2010 I attended a leadership symposium presented by the Pew Center on the States.  John Schlitt, director of the new Pew Home Visiting Campaign, hosted informative presentations and fielded important...

Message for Parents of DLLs: Success in English Starts with Supporting the Home Language!

Time after time teachers ask, “we believe in supporting the home language, but what should we do when parents ask us NOT to use anything other than English?” Parents who speak another language often enroll...

Ways Teachers Can Learn Children’s Home Languages

10. Make a list of 10-20 survival words like eat, nap, bathroom, hurt, help, stop, and ‘mommy will be here soon’. Print on a card and send home with a mini-recorder so parents can write...

Must-Have Multicultural Items to Place on Your Order List

10. Books in all the languages you expect to encounter – at least 10 books per language. • 9. Digital camera and supplies for making books/games/magnets/posters that connect with real world experience and can be...

Teaching English Language Learners in Preschool

Helping Young Children Who Speak Different Languages Become Friends

Ideas for Sending DLLs Off for Holiday Break

10. Amidst all the holiday hubbub, don’t forget to prepare children that the holidays mean time off from school – but it’s only temporary. 9. Work with the children to practice reading and writing a...

Ideas for Celebrating Diverse Holidays

10. Ask parents for suggestions about what they celebrate at home and what’s important for them.  Don’t assume. 9. Go online to download news pictures of celebrations in other countries to post throughout the classroom....