WIDA Planning for Dual Language FOCUS ON …...When planning how to instruct and support DLLs’ language development, Ms. Cora reflects on the information she has gathered through

In This Issue

Introduction1

Using All You Know2-5

Voices from the Field6

Monitoring Nonverbal Communication

7

Dual Language Development

7-8

WIDA Early Years9

References and Further Reading

10

THE EARLY YEARS:Planning for Dual LanguageDevelopment and Learning

IntroductionWhen spring and summer arrive in the Midwest, children’s interests often turn to the changes taking place outdoors. This is true in Ms. Cora’s four-year-old classroom in urban Minnesota.

“Through conversations, I’ve learned that many families in our class grow their own fruits and vegetables,” explains Ms. Cora. “They spend time with their children in the garden, and have a lot of gardening expertise.” Ms. Cora has noticed that the children’s play themes have started to revolve around gardening. “Several children have moved the plastic fruits and vegetables from the dramatic play area to the sand table. They ‘grow’ food for others to ‘cook’ in the play kitchen! Other children have been drawing plans for gardens and building them with the tabletop blocks. Some brought vegetables from home to add to our Science area – vegetables I have never seen, like Thai eggplants and Asian greens. The children take turns ‘working’ there, holding pencils and clipboards, answering questions!” Children have extended this theme to the library, art, and outdoor areas, as well. “The families and I are so excited to see the children’s curiosity, motivation, and joyful interactions!”

Ms. Cora values the cultures, languages, and experiences of diverse children and families and uses them as the foundation of the curriculum. She respects children as individuals. Her observations of children’s interests, strengths, and language usage help her effectively plan and teach. She also strives to increase her expertise by learning about dual language development, utilizing families and other resources, and regularly monitoring her own practices.

“It is my job to listen, observe, and provide the supports and scaffolds the children need to further their learning,” adds Ms. Cora. “I do this for all children, thinking about all areas of development. For the nine children in my group who are dual language learners (DLLs), I draw from additional pieces of information in planning and making decisions about language development.”

In this bulletin, we explore ways that early care and education (ECE) practitioners use what they know about DLLs and their families to make intentional decisions about development and learning. We offer

• Examples from staff in culturally and linguistically diverse ECE programs in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area

• Essential background information about dual language development

• Illustrations of how the WIDA Early English Language Development (E-ELD) Standards Framework guides practitioners in planning and teaching

• A tool to help practitioners monitor their own nonverbal communication with DLLs

1

JUNE 2015

WIDA FOCUS ON

This Focus Bulletin is the third in a series. Please see WIDA Focus on the Early Years: Dual Language Learners (August 2014) and WIDA Focus on Early Years Programs: Supporting Dual Language Learners (March 2015) for foundational information about dual language learners, partnering with families, language policy, supporting home and English language development, language supports, and links to K–12 education. Available at wida.us/EarlyYears

Coming in October 2015! Watch for our next Focus Bulletin with more information about observing DLLs’ language use and development!

2 Planning for Dual Language Development and Learning | WCER | University of Wisconsin–Madison | www.wida.us

Using All You KnowWhen planning how to instruct and support DLLs’ language development, Ms. Cora reflects on the information she has gathered through her relationships with families and children. She thinks about the quality, quantity, consistency, and purposes of the languages children use (both home languages and English). She also considers nonverbal communication, which comprises 70-90% of the communication she and her children use and greatly affects children’s engagement. “I have many general practices in place that support all DLLs. I also think about my DLLs individually. I think about each child’s family, culture, interests, personality, learning style, and development to intentionally plan for inclusion and language learning,” says Ms. Cora. “I know that the language development path for DLLs is different from that of monolingual English learners—in fact, bilingualism and biculturalism affect all domains of children’s development. Once I started learning more about how DLLs develop language, and the positive lifelong impacts of fully developing two or more languages, I began to realize that I needed to change my approach and utilize the unique strengths that DLLs bring.” Ms. Cora uses the WIDA Early English Language Development (E-ELD) Standards Framework to guide her planning and help DLLs build on their strengths and extend their current level of English language development.

What does this look like in practice?Ms. Cora compiles the information she gathers to create a portfolio for each child in her class. The contents of the portfolio are typically selected to document progress in all domains. Ms. Cora uses the developmental continuum provided in her state’s early learning standards for guidance. The portfolios include anecdotes, photos, videos, audio recordings, and samples of work added by adults in the program, children, and families throughout the year. “I always consider the development of the whole child. I work like a detective, observing and asking questions to learn and document everything I can!” Ms. Cora’s documentation about the DLLs in her group also includes information about children’s cultures and languages. Here is a summary of her notes about three children:

THREE DLLs IN MS. CORA’S FOUR-YEAR-OLD CLASS

MALAK CHUE VALENTINA

INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE AND CULTURE GATHERED FROM THE FAMILYAge: 4 (54 months)Born: in IndiaHome Language: Hindi, Urdu

INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE AND CULTURE GATHERED FROM THE FAMILYAge: 4 (52 months)Born: in the United StatesHome Language: Hmong

INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE AND CULTURE GATHERED FROM THE FAMILYAge: 4 (50 months)Born: in MexicoHome Language: Spanish

Planning for Dual Language Development and Learning | WCER | University of Wisconsin–Madison | www.wida.us 3

MALAK CHUE VALENTINASociocultural Contexts: Malak’s family immigrated to the U.S. two weeks ago. For the past four years, she spent most of her time with her mother, aunts, and cousins who speak both Hindi and Urdu. Malak, her parents, and two-year-old sister now live with her uncle and his wife, who primarily speak English. Although she is quiet at school, Malak’s family reports that she talks a lot at home in Hindi and Urdu. She uses language primarily to communicate her needs to her family, talk about nature, sing and dance, play with baby dolls, and give directions to her little sister. Malak’s father speaks Hindi, Urdu, and English. He speaks with Malak using the home languages to help her maintain her relationship with family in India. Malak’s family is not yet connected to other families in the community who speak Hindi or Urdu.

Sociocultural Contexts: Chue spent his first three years at home. He spent most of each day with his mother and grandmother who speak with Chue and his cousins in Hmong. Chue’s father and his three older siblings speak Hmong and English with Chue when they are home in the evenings and on weekends. Chue likes to watch TV, draw, and write with his older brothers – quiet activities. He is able to follow his dad’s directions in English. His dad reports that Chue primarily uses Hmong at home to talk about what he wants and likes, tell family stories, and to plan what he will work on or play when he is at the community garden. Chue’s family has a large network of Hmong friends and family members in the community. Chue’s parents want their children to maintain the Hmong culture.

Sociocultural Contexts: Valentina moved to the U.S. when she was 1. She has heard both Spanish and English at home since birth. She attended half-day Head Start and Early Head Start programs. For three years, Valentina has spent her afternoons with her Portuguese-speaking neighbors while her parents are at work. Valentina’s parents report that she is very outgoing and persistent. She uses all three languages to ask questions, include others in games, help with cooking, and talk about the things she can do now that she is four! She likes to watch TV, listen to music and books, and attend church in Spanish and English. Valentina’s parents would like her and her three older siblings to learn as many languages as they can as they feel it will give them more opportunities in life.

INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT GATHERED THROUGH MULTIPLE OBSERVATIONSRECEPTIVE (hear and process)• follows simple requests when

provided with a support • responds to words and repetitive

phrases in Hindi, Urdu, and English related to daily routines via nonverbal communication

• responds to yes/no questions related to daily routines via nonverbal communication

• observes children and adults as they speak; mimics actions connected with their communication

INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT GATHERED THROUGH MULTIPLE OBSERVATIONSRECEPTIVE (hear and process)• follows simple requests; often needs

a support, such as a gesture or model

• responds to multiple, simple sentences around familiar stories and activities

• demonstrates an understanding of vocabulary used in familiar routines, stories, and activities

• Responds to wh- questions

INFORMATION ABOUT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT GATHERED THROUGH MULTIPLE OBSERVATIONSRECEPTIVE (hear and process)• can typically follow directions with

two or more steps in English and Spanish

• responds to some complex sentences around familiar stories and activities

• demonstrates an understanding of specific vocabulary from a variety of stories, activities, and environments

EXPRESSIVE (use or produce)At home, Uncle Rahil has observed:• uses one- to two-word utterances in

English• repeats common phrases in English• uses Urdu to construct meaning and

demonstrate knowledge

EXPRESSIVE (use or produce)• uses short sentences (3-4 words)• repeats common phrases, but adds

an additional new word or two• can repeat language patterns in

songs, chants, stories, and activities• uses general and some specific

vocabulary associated with familiar activities; common expressions

• uses linguistic features of Hmong to maximize his understanding and communication in English

EXPRESSIVE (use or produce)• produces a variety of original

sentences with 3-5+ words (including nouns, verbs, adjectives and pronouns, though not always in the correct order)

• talks about ideas related to the topic• uses specific vocabulary from a

variety of stories, activities, and environments

• uses linguistic features of Spanish to maximize her understanding and communication in English


“We use what we learn to select books. We find clips on the iPad to make concepts more real. The activities we make available during Free Choice – making something, creating something, writing letters for their families – are based on what we hear from children.”~ Kathy Anderson, Early Childhood Educator, Columbia Heights School District, Minnesota

“In my lesson plans I add in questions for different activities so I can scaffold. I try to think about the questions that would be appropriate for individual children…I do a repeated read aloud every week. To support children, I use pictures. I invite children to try new words and act out the story.”~ Veronica Lund, Early Childhood Educator, Columbia Heights School District, Minnesota

How do practitioners use the information gathered? At this point in time, what does Ms. Cora know about the sociocultural context in which each child lives and learns? Language development in the home language(s) and in English? Each family’s goals for language? How can she use what she knows to provide appropriate language supports, scaffolding, and instruction? What resources are available to support her?

“I regularly analyze my notes because I’m always learning and adding new information about children’s development,” says Ms. Cora. “The families are a huge resource to me! They know their children, cultures, and languages best. Their experiences provide so much to our program. The WIDA E-ELD Standards Framework supports me with the language development part—with planning and seeing a continuum of how DLLs develop English language. I use them with my state early learning standards to make decisions about supports, scaffolding, and language goals.”

The Performance Definitions within the WIDA E-ELD Standards Framework describes language development at three levels: 1-Entering, 3-Developing, and 5-Bridging. The Definitions show examples of each level of language development according to two criteria: Linguistic Complexity and Language Usage. These criteria outline the expectations of receptive and expressive language development across a continuum. Children’s sociocultural contexts and home language(s) play an important role within this continuum.

“In order to monitor language development, I take the information I collect about DLLs’ language use at home, in the community, and in our program and periodically compare it to the criteria in the Performance Definitions,” says Ms. Cora. “I reflect on what I know about each child’s family, culture, interests, personality, learning style, and language development. Then I plan my instructional strategies for each child accordingly. It’s an ongoing cycle: observe and gather, plan, instruct, reflect…”

10 OVERVIEW

Figure C: Early English Language Development Performance Definitions – Receptive, Ages 2.5–4.5

Toward the end of each age cluster and given level of English language development, and with sensory and interactive supports, dual language learners will process in English and non-verbally demonstrate understanding of:

…within sociocultural contexts for language use.

HO

ME

LAN

GU

AG

E

Language Criteria Ages 2.5–3.5 (30–42 mos.) Ages 3.5–4.5 (43–54 mos.)

Level 5Bridging

Linguistic Complexity

Language Usage

• Series of simple sentences related to familiar stories or events

• An idea with one to two details; one-step direction related to daily routines

• Short and compound sentences related to daily routines, familiar people, songs, and stories

• General and some specific vocabulary associated with familiar environments and stories

• Series of extended sentences related to familiar stories, learning activities, or events

• Related ideas; two-step directions related to daily routines

• Compound and some complex sentences related to familiar stories and learning activities

• Specific vocabulary associated with stories, learning activities, and various environments

Level 3Developing


Language Usage

• Related phrases and simple sentences • An idea with one detail

• Short sentences related to daily routines, familiar people, songs, and stories

• Repetitive phrasal patterns related to daily routines and familiar stories

• General vocabulary related to daily routines and familiar stories

• Multiple related simple sentences; wh-questions• An idea with two details

• Short and some compound sentences related to familiar stories and learning activities

• Sentence patterns related to familiar stories and learning activities

• General and some specific vocabulary related to daily routines, familiar stories, and learning activities

Level 1Entering


Language Usage

• Words and repetitive phrases related to daily routines• An idea within simple questions or statements related

to self, familiar people, or daily routines

• Repetitive phrases associated with daily routines• Yes/no questions related to self, familiar people, and/

or daily routines• Words associated with familiar environments

• Words and phrases related to daily routines• An idea within simple questions or statements related to

familiar environments

• Repetitive phrases and simple statements associated with daily routines

• Yes/no questions related to self, familiar people, and/or daily routines

• Words and expressions associated with familiar environments

At the very beginning stages of English language development, dual language learners typically understand more words than they are able to produce. Children may be non-verbal in English and rely primarily on their home language and/or gestures to communicate their needs, wants, and ideas.

At all levels of language developement, home language and English language development

• influence and reinforce each other; and

• mediate understanding, construction of meaning, and demonstration of knowledge.

DEFINITIONS:LANGUAGE SUPPORT: sensory, graphic, and interactive resources embedded in routines, learning activities, and assessment that assist children in constructing meaning from language and content

LANGUAGE SCAFFOLDING: careful design of learning spaces and situations, including shaping of the supports (e.g., processes, environment, and materials) used to build on children’s already acquired skills and knowledge to support their progress from level to level of language development


Along with her notes about language development, Ms. Cora also reflects on her group’s current interest in gardening. “One of Valentina and Fabi’s favorite things to do during Choice Time is ‘cook’ in the dramatic play area. While they make food, Malak and Tim tend to the babies. Other friends help by serving and delivering food from the sensory table ‘garden.’ Chue has been part of the group ‘growing’ the vegetables in the sensory table. He has also been a leader at the Science area. His family brought vegetables from their garden for children to explore. Chue answers questions in the same way his uncle Kou does at his farmers’ market booth!” Ms. Cora uses what she knows about each child to plan for supports and scaffolding for each child at the sensory table and dramatic play area. She includes authentic props which are often provided by the families. While children play, she and the other adults in the room observe, interacting when needed to support children in using props, sustaining play, and communicating.

LANGUAGE SUPPORTS AND SCAFFOLDING AT THE SENSORY TABLE AND DRAMATIC PLAY AREA

MalakSUPPORTSInteractive Supports:• audio recordings in

Hindi and Urdu from Malak’s father.

• gestures• one-on-one time playing with

classmate Tim or Ms. Kristine (assistant teacher)

Malak may feel more comfortable using her English in the classroom if she is motivated by her play choice and playing with one person she knows and trusts.

Sensory Supports:• multicultural baby dolls and

accessories• multicultural dress-up clothes and

props• photos of children’s families, posted

and labeled with names It may be comforting to Malak to see her family and prompt her to talk about her family and new friends.

ChueSUPPORTSInteractive Supports:• small group, including

friends who speak Hmong

• Blia Xiong (community volunteer) twice per week during Choice Time

Sensory Supports:• photos of vegetables and fruits

posted, labeled with the languages in our classroom

• soil, garden tools and watering can, play vegetables and fruits, artificial greens, variety of seeds, baskets, signs from uncle Kou’s farmer’s market booth

• relevant picture booksChue often selects nonfiction books that provide him with new vocabulary words.

Graphic Supports:• clipboards with graphs Chue is motivated to write and talk about his writing, as noted in the Science area.

ValentinaSUPPORTSInteractive Supports:• small group, including

friends who speak Spanish

• Señora Flores (bilingual parent volunteer)

Sensory Supports:• cookbooks and magazines with

photos illustrating a variety of foods, including foods that Valentina makes with her family at home

• diverse photos posted of people cooking, labeled with various new vocabulary words

• play stove, refrigerator, table, baskets, cookware, textiles, and play foods representing the cultures in our classroom

Graphic Supports:• notepads with graphs showing

various foodsThis will encourage Valentina to document some of her verbal language in writing.

SCAFFOLDING• Vocabulary: friends’ names, names

of play materials• sing repetitive songs while rocking

the babies• Ask: Do you like…?• Ask: What will you feed the baby…?Offer Malak choices that she can point to.

SCAFFOLDING• Vocabulary: names of garden tools,

foods, and tasks• Ask open-ended questions: What do

you do at your family’s garden? • Invite Chue to think of a question

and use the clipboard to survey friends.

• Invite Chue to draw a garden and dictate a sentence or two.

SCAFFOLDING• Vocabulary: names of cooking tools,

foods, and tasks• Ask: How could we…? • Ask: Can you explain how you made

that?This will challenge Valentina to give verbal directions using two or more steps, a skill that she has demonstrated receptively.

Language development is a long, fluid process and the path is unique for each child. Because young children develop language at different rates and in different ways—and typically understand more than they can produce—it is common for a child’s level of receptive language development to be higher than his or her level of expressive language development. DLLs’ language development may also look different based on other factors (e.g., sociocultural context, the developmentally appropriate academic language within the activity). Because of this, when utilizing the WIDA E-ELD Performance Definitions, it is important to consider the examples of language development across all age clusters, levels, and domains.


Voices from the Field (and Garden): Columbia Heights, Minnesota

The Early Childhood team in the Columbia Heights Public Schools utilizes the district’s Blooming Heights Edible Schoolyard to increase family engagement, health and wellness, connections to nature, and opportunities for children to play with language in meaningful ways. The district’s garden is home to birds, butterflies, flowers, herbs, perennial fruits, and over 100 unique varieties of annual vegetables. It is also the venue for family play groups, garden clubs, art displays, community events, performances, and outdoor classroom activities. Children and families are invited to participate in observing, planting, watering, weeding, harvesting, donating and selling food, composting, tasting, and cooking. The garden has become one opportunity for the Early Childhood team to intentionally honor families’ cultures, languages, and experiences.

“What is one of the universals across cultures? Sitting together for meals. We talk with families about what that looks like in different cultures for children. Should children sit at the tables or not? We talk about what the families do. We also talk about the different foods families grow and eat…When I can, I try to say words in multiple languages. I’m also on my feet acting things out a lot! I use Google Translator on my phone frequently so families get an idea of what I’m trying to say – and what they’re trying to tell each other.” ~ Chris Buzzetta, Early Childhood Family Educator

“We host play groups in the garden. We use it as an opportunity to talk with families about language development – what they do with their children at home, the importance of home language, and how to use everyday things to talk about language. We also talk about safety and how much families allow their children to move independently throughout the neighborhood.” ~ Shannon Campbell, Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

“We have been talking about plants with Bonnie the Garden Specialist. We read The Surprise Garden by Zoe Hall, a book with a lot of rich vocabulary. The children wanted to know which fruits and vegetables grow on vines, on trees, on bushes, on top of the ground, and in the ground. In addition to the book, I made a chart with photos to help them make real life connections. As much as possible, I also try to bring in real things for children to see, touch, hear, smell and taste.” ~ Stephanie Fortner, Early Childhood Educator

“I think about individual children as I plan for activities. For example, at morning message, I expose children to larger words. We use the words over and over throughout the year in different ways. When children are ready, they begin to incorporate the language into their play. If you have high expectations, children will hit them.” ~ Jackie Mosqueda-Jones, Early Childhood Educator

“Our district and program is focused on partnering with families. Our Early Childhood staff is grounded, positive, and loves working with families. They are also very committed and reflective. Several are doing mini action research projects in their classrooms regarding how they support DLLs and families. For example, one teacher is recording and comparing the number of interactions she has with DLLs in her classroom vs. monolingual English speakers.” ~ Karen Kremer, Early Childhood Manager

A box full of worms invites children to play with language in Veronica Lund’s three-year-old room

Photo compliments of Jeffersfoundation.org


Nonverbal Communication Self-Check Tool• Does my environment include visuals, books,

artifacts, toys, and recordings that represent the languages and cultures of the children in the program?

• Do I smile and appear friendly and approachable?

• Are the ways I use proximity and eye movements respectful of the children and their cultures?

• Does my environment include visuals (real objects, when possible) to support children’s language and concept development?

• Do I model my expectations during routines and transitions?

• Do I provide visual supports to help children communicate their basic needs (e.g., communication boards with pictures and words)?

• Is my nonverbal communication consistent, obvious to children, and positive?

• Do I provide wait time when asking questions, so DLLs have adequate time to think and respond?

• Do I interact with DLLs and monolingual English speakers with the same frequency and in similar ways?

• Do I support a variety of languages in my program?

• What does my body language say when I hear a child speaking his or her home language?

• How do I allow children to use nonverbal communication to show what they know?

Monitoring Nonverbal Communication with Dual Language LearnersLike Ms. Cora, the Early Childhood team at Columbia Heights Public School District recognizes that nonverbal communication and consistent supports and scaffolding in their environments greatly impact DLLs’ engagement. For example, every classroom environment includes visuals to intentionally welcome and support children. Every adult wears a set of small photos or illustrations on a lanyard so they can provide on-the-spot language support. The staff provides consistent routines and use gestures and simple sign language to support their messages. They regularly ask themselves: How is my message being received? What do I need to do to make what I am saying, reading, or singing more understandable to the children?

The Columbia Heights practitioners pay close attention to the way they interact with children using nonverbal communication – especially with DLLs, who comprise approximately 30% of the population in their programs. Several members of the team documented their interactions with children throughout a day, based on one aspect of nonverbal communication. This process allowed them to evaluate their own behaviors and adapt their practices as needed. Sample self-check questions are provided in the tool on the right. If interested, you can document your interactions by tallying on a clipboard, videotaping a portion of your day to review later, or asking a colleague to observe you interacting with children.

Finally, the Columbia Heights practitioners provide children with many ways of showing what they know and can do. “Children have already learned a great deal before they enter an early childhood program, even if this learning has been in a different language and culture. Effective curriculum and assessment systems do not underestimate children’s abilities. Instead, they create multiple, often nonverbal ways for children to demonstrate interests, knowledge, and skills (NAEYC, 2009).”

Dual Language Development During the early years, children’s language development is naturally linked to their overall development. As children develop physically, socially, and emotionally, they increasingly explore and interact with their environment and the people in it. Children learn about the sounds, words, grammatical structures, and purposes of the language(s) they hear and use. In turn, as children develop more complex thinking skills through their varied physical and social experiences, they are able to understand and produce increasingly complex language. As a result, practitioners may have very different social and language goals for three-, four-, and five-year-olds.

Regardless of chronological age, children’s developing language skills may vary considerably across the 2.5-5.5 year span due to a number of factors. This is especially true for DLLs who are learning multiple languages.

All over the world young children can and do successfully develop multiple languages, and they follow a wide variety of paths for doing so. Development in each DLL’s languages will vary depending on many factors, including timing of exposure, richness and frequency of input in


each language, opportunities to use their languages, similarities and differences between the languages, family values and child-rearing beliefs, community acceptance and support for their languages, and the child’s individual temperament, aptitude, and approaches to learning (e.g., curiosity, initiative, persistence, attentiveness, creativity, risk-taking). Early learning experiences and social interaction also influence children’s levels of development in receptive and expressive language.

Once more is known about a child’s language development, practitioners can provide language scaffolding and supports to help young children understand new concepts and skills. In his work on the Zone of Proximal Development, Vygotsky (1978) described learning opportunities as interactions that are challenging but also within reach of the learner. Information about the backgrounds of DLLs, including their early learning experiences and language history, is key for planning an environment that promotes children’s optimal development and learning. Practitioners in high-quality ECE settings partner with families to learn about children’s experiences, cultures, and languages. They value and incorporate the knowledge and talents of the diverse families in their programs into their curriculum and ongoing assessment.

Recognizing DLLs’ development in their home language(s) and in English is one of the first steps for pairing relevant language supports with learning activities and social interactions in the ECE setting. DLLs follow a typical sequence of stages as they develop English language (Tabors, 2008). The WIDA E-ELD Performance Definitions take these stages developed by Patton O. Tabors into account and also expand on them in several ways (e.g., three levels of receptive language development in addition to expressive).

1. Home language use: The child uses his home language with other children and adults. This may last for days or months until the child realizes that others cannot understand him.

2. Observational period: The child limits the use of his home language, and primarily uses nonverbal ways of communication. He uses this time to observe, listen to, and learn the features, sounds, and words of the new language. This important stage may last a few months to a year.

3. Telegraphic and formulaic speech: The child repeats familiar one- and two- word phrases in English to name objects and respond to situations. He may not understand the meaning of the words he is using or use them appropriately all of the time, but he notices that the words get the response he needs. (For example, the child may use the phrase “Lookit” to get other children’s attention while playing.)

4. Productive use of language: The child produces simple sentences in meaningful contexts. As his experiences broaden, his sentences become increasingly longer and more complex. Errors are common as he tries out new vocabulary and language rules during this stage. He will also frequently use linguistic features of his home language(s) to maximize understanding and communication in English.

When they utilize the linguistic features of their home language(s), DLLs can maximize both languages to make meaning and participate in meaningful conversations. Research shows that, from a very early age, DLLs demonstrate complex knowledge on how their languages support each other. Using both languages in a single utterance or conversation is common and normal behavior in both bilingual children and adults. It is not indicative of confusion or language delays (Paradis, et al., 2011).

In order to support, instruct, and interpret DLLs’ development and language learning, practitioners need to have a deep understanding of how DLLs’ language and overall development are influenced and uniquely shaped by the multiple cultures and languages of the families, communities, and ECE settings to which they belong. Many practitioners seek out professional development opportunities (e.g., higher education courses, book studies, conference workshops, coaching) and organizations such as WIDA to learn more about dual language development. Others prefer to read about research and effective practices. Several recommended printed resources are listed on page 10 of this Bulletin.


About WIDA Early Years WIDA recognizes the educational resources and services developed to support K-12 educators are different than those needed to support practitioners in birth to five settings. Therefore, WIDA Early Years is pleased to introduce a comprehensive set of resources designed to promote the educational equity of young DLLs, ages 2.5-5.5 years. These resources focus on building local practitioner and administrator capacity around supporting early language development. WIDA Early Years resources include

• Early English Language Development (E-ELD) Standards Resource Guide (also translated in in Arabic, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish) available at https://www.wceps.org/Store/WIDA

• Focus Bulletins: Parts 1 & 2 (www.wida.us/EarlyYears)

• Early Spanish Language Development Standards Resource Guide (coming in fall 2015)

• Essential Actions for Implementing the WIDA E-ELD Standards Framework (coming in winter 2015)

WIDA Early Years currently offers a Master Cadre Program for states to build trainer capacity around supporting DLLs’ language development. Please contact [email protected] for more information regarding this training opportunity. In addition to the Master Cadre Program, an institute series is available to assist programs in implementing the WIDA E-ELD Standards Framework. These institutes highlight core actions and strategies found in the Essential Actions for Implementing the WIDA Early English Language Development Standards Framework. Please watch for upcoming Focus Bulletins and visit the WIDA Early Years website for more information about initiatives that support DLLs: www.wida.us/EarlyYears or contact the Early Years team at [email protected].

ConclusionIn our example scenario, Ms. Cora partnered with families to observe and gather information about DLLs’ interactions within their sociocultural contexts, their language use and development (in both the home languages and English), interests, strengths, and learning preferences. She then reflected on the information gathered, her knowledge of dual language development, and available resources to intentionally plan for language supports, scaffolding, and instruction. Like the Early Childhood team at Columbia Heights Public School District, Ms. Cora also paid close attention to nonverbal communication in her program. She knows that adults’ nonverbal communication greatly affects children’s engagement and learning. Children’s nonverbal communication provides insights into how they are feeling, what they are thinking, what they know, and what they can do. In our next Focus Bulletin, we will follow Ms. Cora to learn how and why she observes and documents DLLs’ nonverbal communication, language use, and language development.

Wisconsin Center for Education Research

University of Wisconsin-Madison1025 West Johnson St., MD #23

Madison, WI 53706

Client Services Center toll free: 866.276.7735

[email protected]

STAFF

Judy BallwegEarly Years Educator Resources

Project Manager

Julia CortadaEducator Resource

Developer

Editors:Andrea CammilleriAssistant Director

Teaching and Learning

Rebecca Holmes, Editor

Design:Janet Trembley

Wisconsin Center for Education Research

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank the early childhood practitioners and administrators in Minnesota who graciously shared their

experiences and expertise with us for this Focus Bulletin:

Kathy AndersonChris Buzzetta

Shannon CampbellStephanie Fortner

Karen KremerVeronica Lund

Jackie Mosqueda-JonesJane Riordan


References and Further ReadingBredekamp, S. & Copple, C. (2013). Developmentally appropriate practice: Focus on

preschoolers. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

California Department of Education. (2009). Preschool English learners: Principles and practices to promote language, literacy, and learning. (2nd Ed.) Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/psenglearnersed2.pdf

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Documents

WIDA Planning for Dual Language FOCUS ON …...When planning how to instruct and support DLLs’ language development, Ms. Cora reflects on the information she has gathered through