“In today’s preschool programs and primary school classrooms, teachers are working with an increasingly diverse population of young students, including many who come from homes where English is not spoken…As Chomksy (1969) demonstrated, children between 5 and 10 are still acquiring the structures of their first language. For children younger than 5, many aspects of their first language have not yet fully developed. So while older learners have the foundation of a fully developed first language when they begin acquiring a new language, younger English language learners are working toward two milestones at the same time: the full development of their native language and the acquisition of English.” (Coltrane, B., 2003)
Please check out the resources below for more information on how to support early childhood students’ development of their native language and English.
Instructional Supports: Planning with Language Acquisition in Mind
Translations:
Translated Second Step Weekly Summaries for Parents — Lessons 14-17
Talking About Touching Notes for Families–Translations