Fairfax Early Childhood Partnership's November 5-4-3-2-1 Early Childhood Tips for Today!

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 11/12/2019 07:43 PM EST

Fairfax Early Childhood Partnership Monthly Early Childhood Tips for Today

Supporting Dual Language Learners 

5 Things to Know or Do 5 Things to Know or Do:

  1. Tell stories and share books together in your home language. Children have an easier time learning English when they have a strong foundation in their first language.
  2. Talk with your child in the language you are most comfortable, then you can have conversations that promote your child's thinking and language development.
  3. Talk with children about family traditions and tell stories about family members, and use these to extend your child's language.
  4. Have fun with language – play rhyming games, sing songs, tell riddles, and poems in your home language with your child. This stimulates their language development as well as cognitive skills.
  5. Keep home language print materials in your home such as books, greeting cards, magazines, and newspapers.

4 Children Read Alouds 4 Children Read Alouds

  1.  Yoko Writes Her Name by Rosemary Wells. Yoko’s excitement about school is met with teasing by her classmates about her writing in Japanese. But they learn that friendship can bridge cultural differences.
  2.  Angelina's Island by Jeanette Winter. Angelina believes she’ll never feel at home in this new place, until her mother finds a wonderful surprise in the newspaper. A familiar longing for home that young immigrants will recognize.
  3.  Carmen Learns English by Judy Cox. Starting school can be frightening if you don’t yet speak English. With a supportive teacher and growing confidence, Carmen gradually learns the new language.
  4.  Yara, My Friend from Syria by Alhan Rahimi. Though she is shy, Yara’s new classmates learn that she can speak three languages. This story shows how important a child’s peers are in assimilating to a new culture and school.

3 Links to Visit 3 Links to Visit

  1. ¡Colorín Colorado! is a bilingual (English/Spanish) site for educators and families of English language learners. Of particular interest may be an article on Learning Two Languages.
  2. Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center: A series of handouts on The Importance of Home Language designed by Head Start to provide staff and families with basic information on topics related to children learning two or more languages. These handouts are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Russian.
  3. Unite for Literacy: Original, non-fiction picture e-books that provide diverse images, support beginning readers of all ages, and have narration in 39 different languages.

  2 Points to Access Research 

2 Points to Access Research 

  1. Public Policy Institute of California: Preschool and School Readiness: Experiences of Children with Non-English-Speaking Parents

  2. 1 Video to View  1 Video to View