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While English is the common language for many children and educators in the United States, it鈥檚 important to honor children鈥檚 and families鈥� home languages. These are a big part of their emotional connections to their home cultures. The research shows that children who maintain the ability to use the language of their families form stronger bonds with their cultural heritages. Educators who support and represent children鈥檚 home languages contribute to that connection, acknowledge children鈥檚 life experiences in the outside world, and ultimately create a caring, equitable community of learners where everyone has听a place.

As a consultant and trainer, I鈥檝e seen creative ways that teachers have found to teach multilingual learners. But I鈥檝e also seen anxiety鈥攅specially if the educators are monolingual听English speakers.

It isn鈥檛 always possible to have staff who are fluent in all of the languages spoken in an early learning setting. Yet there are other ways you can recognize children鈥檚 home languages and support families to maintain them at home. Here, I offer some practical tips to honor the diverse languages children speak in settings where English is the听shared language.

1. Engage families

Families and educators need each other鈥檚 help to promote both English and home languages. You can engage families in your curriculum by sharing themes and activities, then asking them to talk about the same ideas at home. For example, if you鈥檙e studying birds, ask families to talk about birds at home, in their home languages. Let them know that these conversations will help their children become bilingual as they learn concepts in two languages. You can also help families feel welcome by inviting them to visit your program to play with children, read or tell stories, or do a cooking project. This helps families become familiar with your program while showing them that you value their cultures and languages. If coming in isn鈥檛 feasible, families can contribute in other ways. For example, they can send you topic-related words, such as听p谩jaro听for听bird听or听alas听for听wings, that you can add to your word wall. (Be sure to integrate all of the languages in your setting, including languages that use different symbols to represent sounds or words from those used in English.) Children can also bring culturally relevant items from home to share. Families can include a story about the item for you to听read aloud.

2. Plan multilingual greetings

Learn how to say hello (along with other key words and phrases) in the languages your children speak, so you can greet them each morning in their home languages. This will set a welcoming tone and help build relationships. When children hear their home languages spoken during the day, they realize their language is important and appreciated by听others too.

3. Highlight individual languages

You can incorporate multiple home languages into your setting during different parts of the day. One approach I have seen is teachers choosing a different language to highlight each day (English on Monday, Spanish on Tuesday, Somali on Wednesday, and so on).听Circle time or morning meeting is a great time to introduce the language: 鈥淭oday is Spanish day. In our classroom, Sarita, Pablo, and Kevin speak Spanish at home, and we can all say hello and sing together in Spanish too.鈥� By creating a regular schedule, children will begin to anticipate the language of the day and learn to appreciate the different languages and cultures represented in听your setting.

4. Incorporate songs into lessons

Songs are a way for children to learn how different languages sound and to understand that languages have different words for the same ideas or objects. For each home language, choose a few songs to connect to a lesson or activity. For example, you may sing 鈥淭he Wheels on the Bus鈥� in English, then learn 鈥淟as Ruedas del Bus鈥� in Spanish or 鈥淟es Roues de l鈥橝utobus鈥� in French. Same tune, different words. Ask children and their families for ideas about songs to use. When introducing them to the class, be explicit about which language you鈥檙e speaking. You might listen to a recording of the song to learn the words and melody. Then sing together, so everyone can try those words. The objective is not merely to listen for entertainment but to experience speaking听different languages.

5. Offer books in home languages

Research has shown that reading books in multiple languages helps build literacy skills, social and emotional learning, and family connections. If you aren鈥檛 fluent in a language, you鈥檒l need the assistance of a family or community member to read the book鈥攅ither live or recorded. (See 鈥淚n Our Voices: Creating Community Responsive Listening Centers鈥� in the Summer 2022 issue of听Teaching Young Children听for more on this.)听You can also tap your local library or YouTube for audio/video recordings.听Pick the same book as the one you鈥檙e reading aloud or a text that鈥檚 related to your main topic of study. This allows children to use the same vocabulary they鈥檙e learning in English, which reinforces their learning of words and concepts in both languages. Be explicit when introducing a book in a child鈥檚 home language: 鈥淲e鈥檝e been reading听The Very Hungry Caterpillar听in English. But today I want you to listen to听The Very Hungry Caterpillar听in French. It鈥檚 the same story, but the words are in French and will sound different. Ang猫le and Yana speak French at home, and they will understand the words. Let鈥檚 all listen听carefully now.鈥�

6. Affirm children鈥檚 use of home languages during play

An early childhood setting has many opportunities for spontaneous interactions across the day. Small groups of children who speak the same language may begin to use that language among themselves. You can acknowledge and encourage these peer interactions. You can also look for natural breaks in their conversations to recognize them: 鈥淵ou are using your Spanish. It鈥檚 wonderful! You can speak English and Spanish too! You are bilingual.鈥� This respects and elevates children鈥檚 linguistic skills and lets them know they have听important knowledge.

An effective multilingual early learning program is a vibrant community of people sharing life, language, and learning. By intentionally planning support for all the home languages in your setting, you recognize children鈥檚 cultures and show that you value them and their families.听

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