Live Interactive Chat

Answers to Questions (Transcript)

April 21, 2004

Supporting the Literacy Development of Diverse Language Learners in Early Childhood Classrooms

Rosalinda B. Barrera

IELModerator
Greetings, IEL Chat participants. Welcome to the third IEL Chat of 2004. Our Chat tonight is titled "Supporting the Literacy Development of Diverse Language Learners in Early Childhood Classrooms." To get started, let me introduce our guest speaker, Rosalinda Barrera, a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Rosalinda Barrera
Good evening! And I would also like to say "Buenas Noches" to give our audience an explicit cue that tonight we will be addressing bilingual/ESL learners and their literacy development.

IELModerator
The procedure for the live Chat session is as follows. Participants can send questions to the Chat guest at any time. When you send your question, please note that it will not be visible to all Chat participants. The IEL Moderator receives the question first and will post it to the whole Chat group. If there's a long queue of questions, the Moderator will notify the questioner that the question was received. Then, at the next break in the discussion, the question will be posted for all to see and for our guest to answer.

Note that there will be a pause after a question is posted while the Chat guest speaker composes a response to the question. So please be patient! During these pauses, the Moderator will post occasional information about the IEL Web site. Because some Chat participants enter the Chat in the middle of the session, some of these messages may be posted more than once.

Questions will be posted in the order they're received, unless there's some obvious reason to group similar questions together. Participants may send follow-up questions. If you do send a follow-up question, please remind the guest and other participants of the earlier question (something like "In my earlier question about the third-grader's reading difficulty…") because it's easy to forget earlier questions in the long list of questions that occur during the Chat session.

If your question is not answered by the time the Chat session ends at 8 pm, the question and its answer will be included in the Chat transcript that will be made available online approximately 3 weeks from today.

If, at any time during the Chat, you want to review the procedure for participating in the Chat session, you can do that at this Web page: http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/info/ecapchat.html or in Spanish at http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/info/ecapchat-sp.html. Editor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat

Editor's note: In some of the answers that follow, Rosalinda Barrera cites research studies and other publications. These resources are listed at the end of this Chat transcript.

IELModerator
Now let's begin our Chat. Professor Barrera, we have a question that we received in advance of the session:

What are some of the ways that a very young child whose home language is not English might react to being in an English-only classroom?

Rosalinda Barrera
We need to remember that for the young second-language learner the English-only classroom presents differences not only linguistic in nature but also cultural and social. In other words, in such a setting, the child faces not only having to learn a new language, English, but also a new culture, that of the classroom or schooling, in addition to forging new social relationships. This is a challenging situation indeed. In fact, the child's entire family, if recently immigrated to the United States, might be undergoing adaptation to a new country and language (see Suarez-Orozco & Suarez-Orozco, 2001).

Thus, the child might initially appear to respond in "atypical" ways, for example, seeming "shy," "withdrawn," "unresponsive," perhaps even "disruptive." From a language perspective, the child might exhibit a silent phase initially, perhaps lasting several months, in which he or she produces little oral English, all the while learning more about the new environment and growing in receptive ability in the new language (see Tabors, 1997). During this time, the child may appear unsocial because of his or her lack of linguistic interactions with other children.

Gradually, the child may begin to involve himself or herself in familiar classroom routines for which stock English phrases have been learned or single-words responses, and later begin to produce longer, multiple-word utterances. If the classroom teacher is informed about the multiple adjustments the second-language learner has to make, then he or she will make sure to allow the child adequate time and support to become familiar with the new environment and the people in it.

Petal
I have three Spanish-speaking 4-year-olds in my classroom, with one aide and eight other children. Mostly we manage well, but I worry that I don't have time to give the Spanish-speaking children enough of an introduction to English. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Rosalinda Barrera
Petal, it would be helpful to you and the children if you could pull in some more adults to serve as language models both for English and Spanish. Do you have access to parent volunteers or university students who could serve as language resources for your students?

jpm
Dr. Barrera, if an English-speaking teacher is just learning Spanish and wants to try reading aloud from a bilingual parallel book to the class, is it a good idea to try reading the Spanish pages aloud, or should she or he just stick with the English part? Or I guess the first question to ask would have been, "Are bilingual parallel books a good idea?" (By that I mean books written in two languages, with the text on facing pages or the same page.)

Rosalinda Barrera
jpm, they are called "bilingual books," and I would recommend that you concentrate on reading the English text and enlist the help of a guest reader for the Spanish portions until you feel more confident and fluent in Spanish. However, this advice is not intended to discourage you from using Spanish words and phases with the children at other times—a very affirming and validating gesture.

IELModerator
You can find additional resources on Supporting the Literacy Development of Diverse Language Learners in Early Childhood Classrooms in the supplement to this Chat session. This supplement is available on the IEL Web site at this URL:
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/barrera/sup.htm.

A glossary of terms related to Supporting the Literacy Development of Diverse Language Learners in Early Childhood Classrooms is included in the supplement to this Chat session. Again, this supplement can be found at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/barrera/sup.htm.

Petal
What do you mean by "receptive" ability in a previous response? I'm not sure what that means.

Rosalinda Barrera
Petal, "receptive" refers to understanding, in contrast to "expressive" language. So receptive language is the child's ability to understand the second language. Expressive language is the child's ability to produce the second language.

PHYLLIS P-AD5
I see a trend in my suburban Addison school district for parents to refuse bilingual education services for their children and immerse their children in English-only classrooms. What can be done to ease their frustration levels and advance their special needs?

Rosalinda Barrera
Phyllis, this is not atypical behavior for many bilingual parents, especially if recently immigrated, who know the high value placed on English proficiency in our society. Also, I think this reflects parents' frustration with some bilingual/ ESL programs in the schools that may not be providing their children with high competence in English.

Petal
That's a good idea to try to get university students as volunteers! The problem in working with the parents as volunteers is that, since I don't know any Spanish, our communication is difficult—particularly if they don't know too much English. Also, the parents seem shy around me. But perhaps a college student would work!

Rosalinda Barrera
Petal, what is your school district doing to hire bilingual personnel—for example, interpreters, family liaisons, and other language resource/support personnel? You need to advocate for these types of paraprofessionals to assist you in serving children from diverse backgrounds.

IELModerator
The transcripts of the IEL Chat sessions from 2002 through 2004 are archived on the IEL Web site. Go to the IEL Chat page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htm, then scroll down the page to the section called "Past Chat Sessions." For each Chat in that section, you'll see a link for "Chat transcript." Click on that link to view the transcript for that particular Chat Editor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

The most recent Chat was on the topic of "How to Enrich Curriculum with the Illinois Early Learning Standards" with Linda Housewright. The transcript of this Chat session is available from the IEL Chat section at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/housewright/trans.htm.

Note that IEL Chat transcripts are also available in Spanish. To find IEL Spanish Chat transcripts (Trasuntos de chateo), go to the Spanish Chat page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat-sp.htm. Editor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat

lucy
How do you feel about children being exited too soon out of bilingual classrooms and being placed in English-only classrooms?

Rosalinda Barrera
lucy, this is a really complex question. First of all, I have difficulty supporting traditional transition bilingual education program models because I think they make unrealistic demands of children in terms of language development and of teachers in terms of pedagogical practices. Wouldn't it be wonderful if instead maintenance bilingual education models or two-way programs were more the norm?

lucy
I think that is a wonderful idea, but unfortunately our district does not see it that way.

IELModerator
Professor Barrera, here's another question:

What are some of the cultural differences a teacher should be aware of when working with children from diverse backgrounds?

Rosalinda Barrera
A variety of literacy-related cultural differences are documented in the research literature and are pertinent to the English-only classroom. In general, the second-language learner may come to school with very different “ways with words,” to use a term coined by Heath (1983). For example, the child’s sense of story and storying may differ from the dominant model reflected in the school curriculum, both in content and style, holding implications for the way children are taught and assessed in the areas of reading comprehension and creative writing.

Additionally, there may be differences in other language aspects, among them types of questions posed, turn-taking behavior, and adult-child interactional patterns (Lindfors, 1987). Moreover, unlike the U.S. school culture that emphasizes competition and individual achievement, the child’s cultural heritage may reflect a more cooperative and group-centered orientation.

Thus, the child may not feel comfortable being “put on stage” in the classroom or asked to work and play only in competitive ways with peers. In sum, the teacher needs to structure instructional experiences that are themselves diverse in format and responsive to the cultural traditions of the children in the classroom.

This is not to say that the school’s ways with words must be neglected, only that the child’s ways with words are a useful springboard to further learning. Additionally, the teacher needs to remember that cultural differences are not always visible, as obviously as in food, dance, and music, but are deeper and involve the ways in which the child views the world, including the realms of language and literacy (see Nieto, 2002).

Ellen
We have many new Spanish-speaking families in our school. Our district has employed a Spanish-speaking person to be the interpreter for school meetings. They want their students to learn the language. They prefer an English immersion program. Our school has a full-time ESOL teacher fluent in Spanish. Our ELL pick up the language very quickly.

Rosalinda Barrera
Ellen, if I understand correctly, the parents in your school community prefer an English immersion program, however, I would caution you and them that this program not be an English "submersion" program. Rather, your school should support a strong ESL program that approaches English instruction from a second-language perspective rather than a native-language one. I also think that the children's home culture and heritage have an important role to play in their English language development.

IELModerator
As mentioned earlier, Professor Barrera is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in multicultural children's literature and early childhood literacy. She served as lead editor for Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8 (2nd ed.), published by the National Council of Teachers of English in 1997.

Her research interests include Latino children's literature and the literacy education of Latino children. She is currently the associate director of the Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society at UIUC. Her most recent publication is Multicultural Issues in Literacy Research and Practice (Willis et al.), published by Erlbaum in 2003.

jpm
There has been some discussion of whether it is better for a child whose home language is not English to learn to read in the home language first, then in English. I also knew a child who seemed to be learning to read in three languages at the same time (his family was trilingual). You probably have a lot of sources about that kind of thing on the resource list—but I'm wondering, what are some of the best things for a nonbilingual first-grade teacher to do to help first-graders who are learning English, when it comes to helping them learn to read.

Rosalinda Barrera
jpm, one of the best things that you can do to promote the English literacy development of a non-native speaker is to read to them on a regular basis. At the same time, they would benefit immensely from a strong English program that builds on their background knowledge, including their oral traditions and home literacies. Perhaps it would be good for you and your colleagues to find out more about the home and community lives of children so that those aspects can be integrated into the curriculum.

One way to do this is to do home visits at some time during the year to get to know children's parents and caregivers. Another suggestion is to have parents and caregivers visit the classroom to share their cultural and home traditions and knowledge.

Eileen V.
Is only three years enough time for children to be exited from a bilingual program? Is three years the Illinois maximum for bilingual education? These programs are very important to my bilingual teachers Carol and Maria.

Rosalinda Barrera
Eileen V, unfortunately the law requires that the children be in transitional bilingual education programs for three years only. I don't think we can safely say that is enough time for all children to gain a level of proficiency required for all English programming.

IELModerator
Professor Barrera, here's our next question:

Dr. Barrera, what are your thoughts regarding those children who end up acting as interpreters for the non-English-speaking guardians?

Rosalinda Barrera
This question is tough because I can think of some situations in which children are the only individuals that parents can turn to for interpreting assistance. What I fear the most is when school districts/personnel make it a habit or policy to put bilingual/ESL children in this position when their parents come to school. There is no excuse for a district not hiring its own adult interpreters.

IELModerator
Remember that the IEL Web site is available not only in English but also in Spanish. The Spanish home page is at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/index-sp.htm.

Eileen V.
Is there a site that lists culturally appropriate literature for children? So many times we find books that are too stereotypical and do not reflect the true culture of the child.

Rosalinda Barrera
Eileen V, yes! By all means, please check out my resources section, especially CCBC at http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc and the URL http://www.ncte.org/ (search on "book lists" in the Search box).

Eileen V.
Should a bilingual classroom have all of the district curriculum only in Spanish?

Rosalinda Barrera
Eileen V, it wouldn't be a bilingual classroom if it had only Spanish curriculum. What about the ESL curriculum component?

PHYLLIS P-AD5
Where does the state need to go in the bilingual education area in your opinion? What's the best model to follow?

Rosalinda Barrera
Phyllis, I think the state needs to address the language needs of children in its preschool programs. Curriculum matters are left up to the districts, and I think there needs to be a language policy to guide that educational arena. Also, the state's bilingual education regulations could be enhanced if they addressed two-way programming.

IELModerator
Remember that you may send a question at any time to the IEL staff. Just email your question to iel@uiuc.edu.

You can also phone in a question. Please note that IEL's toll-free telephone number has changed from the number that was used in 2003. The new number is 877-275-3227. IEL staff are usually available between 8-12 and 1-5 on business days.

Petal
I'm interested in Eileen V's question, too. I have wanted to have good Spanish-language picture books for the children in my classroom, but since I don't read Spanish, I have wondered where to get a good list.

Rosalinda Barrera
Petal, there are at least three book awards for Latino-themed children's literature—the "Américas Award," the "Pura Belpré Award," and the "Tomás Rivera Mexican American Book Award." Check out their many winning and honor books published in Spanish, in English, and in both languages.

NSM
Dr. Barrera, here are URLs for the book awards you mentioned:

The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award: http://www.education.txstate.edu/oldsite/rivera/mainpage.html
Editor's Note: this url is no longer active.

The Pura Belpré Award:
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/
belpremedal/belprmedal.cfm

Américas Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/CLACS/aa/index.html

IELModerator
NSM, thanks very much for that information.

IELModerator
This is the final Chat session of spring 2004. The IEL Chat series will resume in autumn 2004. Several Chat sessions are in the planning stages, but dates and titles have not been finalized at this time. Please watch the Chat page on the IEL Web site for details of these upcoming Chats. Information should be available near the end of the summer. Once again, the URL is http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htmEditor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat

lucy
With so many diverse language learners entering our schools, what are some suggestions you might have to enable them to learn at their own rate and comfort?

Rosalinda Barrera
lucy, this is a sprawling question. Can you be more specific?

lucy
What are some ways teachers can instruct to help these children learn?

Rosalinda Barrera
lucy, if this classroom that you have in mind is multilingual, then it might be good for your school to provide native-language tutors for as many of the different languages that your children reflect. Here, I'm assuming, a bilingual program is not possible and that we are speaking about an English classroom.

jpm
Thanks for your responses to my earlier questions. Here's another—Ellen's question speaks to something that is of concern in a school I was involved in—what can be said to parents who are sure that English immersion is the right thing, when some research seems to show that down the road, families may pay a price when the children do not develop in their home language and may eventually have trouble talking to parents and grandparents or reading the community newspaper? Should the staff make them aware of the research, assuming that they might not be aware of it, or should the staff take the attitude that the parents are making an "informed-enough" decision?

Rosalinda Barrera
jpm, I think it would be good for you and your colleagues to share the research literature with parents pointing out the high price they may ultimately pay in terms of language loss and separation from elders. However, it is the parents' right to decide the language instructional directions for their children.

IELModerator
Some Chat participants tonight may be interested in the several IEL Tip Sheets on language arts that can be found on the Tip Sheets page of the IEL Web site: http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/iel/searchiel.cgi?searchtype=tipcategory&categories=Language+Arts. These are available in English, Spanish, and Polish.

Two IEL Chats from 2003 may provide some useful information for tonight's Chat participants. Additional suggestions on literacy development can be found in the transcript for an earlier IEL Chat, "Encouraging Literacy Development in Infants and Toddlers" from 2003. This transcript is available in English at http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/glick/trans.htm and in Spanish at http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/glick/trans-sp.htm.

There is also a resource list related to this earlier Chat on literacy development. The URL of the resource page is
http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/glick/sup.htm.

A second relevant Chat from 2003 was one on "Encouraging Literacy Development in Preschoolers." The transcript for this Chat is available in English at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/scott/trans.htm and in Spanish at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/scott/trans-sp.htm.

The resource list related to this Chat is available at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/scott/sup.htm.

Petal
Dr. Barrera, I have noticed that the Illinois Early Learning Standards don't address the needs and expectations for young children who are entering prekindergarten classrooms and just starting to learn English. Do you think the standards should address the special situations of those children?

Rosalinda Barrera
Petal, yes, yes, yes!!!

IELModerator
Since we spoke momentarily about standards, note that the Illinois Early Learning Standards are available on the IEL Web site at http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/standards/index.htm.

The Illinois Early Learning Standards are also available in Spanish at http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/standards-sp/index.htm.

Of general interest to the topic of literacy development, and of special interest to Illinoisans, are the State of Illinois Early Learning Standards related to language arts. There are 13 learning standards related to language arts. Each standard addresses one of five language goals and is accompanied by one or more benchmarks to determine children's progress. Again, the state standards are available on the IEL Web site at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/standards/index.htm.

Eileen V.
What kind of parental programs are available in our state that support families in aiding their own children in their classrooms?

Rosalinda Barrera
Eileen, let me be cautious about answering your question. Too many parental involvement programs are one-way in nature. That is, school people tell parents how to do child rearing and how to teach their children. I know of individual teachers making extraordinary efforts to work with parents/families; however, no schoolwide program comes to mind.

Petal
Do the state's bilingual education regulations address prekindergarten?

Rosalinda Barrera
Petal, no! They start out with kindergarten. The state-funded preschool program is also pretty vague about language diversity.

Sandy
You've mentioned two-way programming twice. So I have to ask for an definition. :-)

Rosalinda Barrera
Sandy, please see my resource list.

IELModerator
Sandy, concerning two-way programming, see the resource list at http://www.illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/barrera/sup.htm. The relevant definition is the one for Dual Language Immersion.

Eileen V.
Can there ever really be a perfectly integrated classroom?

Rosalinda Barrera
Eileen, what do you mean? In what sense? Children or curricular content?

Eileen V.
My bilingual teachers, Carol and Maria, who couldn't log on from their school, were wondering whether there are any model programs in Illinois that have successful transitional classrooms?

Rosalinda Barrera
Eileen, you might want to check with the Illinois Resource Center in Des Plaines, Illinois. They have a vast array of resources and are always in touch with school districts.

Guest
Dr. Barrera, thank you for answering my questions. I want the Illinois Early Learning program folks to know that I have a display box of tip sheets in my classroom, and I keep it stocked with tip sheets for parents to take—I like it that they are English on one side and Spanish on the other!

jpm
Could you say something about young children's writing when they are not yet literate in their home language and are learning English as a second language? For instance, should teachers encourage parents to have their kids write at home, and what are some other good writing activities for such children?

Rosalinda Barrera
jpm, I really appreciate your bringing up writing! It is sorely neglected in many early childhood classrooms and federal literacy initiatives as well. I see writing as an important pathway to reading development. I think children should be writing every day from the first day they come to preschool. One of their first writing texts ought to be their first names. Furthermore, I think children need to develop phonemic awareness and letter sound knowledge, not necessarily for reading, but for writing. Writing is a much more concrete activity for young learners than reading. And phonics makes great sense for spelling (encoding) rather than for reading (decoding).

IELModerator
Professor Barrera, here's the next question:

How can a teacher work with students if the teacher does not speak or understand the child's language?

Rosalinda Barrera
The teacher can enlist the assistance of individuals who do know the child’s language to serve as resources in the classroom, perhaps adult volunteers from the community or older students (for example, from a university or high school). These individuals might be called upon to interact with the child in a variety of ways, ranging from unstructured, informal conversations to relatively structured, tutorial lessons.

Concomitantly, the teacher might want to explore learning some key words/phrases from the child's home language as a way to affirm its importance as a medium of communication and to demonstrate its acceptance to the child's parents and family.

IELModerator
We're just about finished with tonight's Chat. Are there any last-minute questions?

jpm
I too feel writing is neglected, but children need the "power of the pen" no matter what language they are using.... When English phonemes are trickier than those in a child's home language, what are some things to say to a child about that? Fellow Chatters, I was just looking at the list of resources for this Chat, and it is very thorough. There's a glossary plus a number of online and print resources. Thanks, Dr. Barrera and others who make the Chat work!

Rosalinda Barrera
jpm, I think we need to go back to utilizing the children's names as much as possible for the early phonemic awareness lessons in English because that embeds that instruction in something personal and significant for the child. The names of their classmates soon become additional "texts" for letter-sound instructions.

IELModerator
8 o'clock has arrived. We'll finish up Ruth's questions and then call it a Chat night.

Remember that if your question wasn't answered during the Chat, it will appear in the transcript along with a response. And you may send a question at any time to the IEL staff. Just email your question to iel@uiuc.edu or call us at our new toll-free number, 877-275-3227, between 8-12 and 1-5 on business days.

Ruth
I'm sorry—I'm late—but I am the director of a preschool in Boca Raton, and I am thinking about undertaking a Spanish immersion program for 7 weeks in the summer—a full-day program—for our English speakers. Only Spanish will be spoken for the entire day. Are there any adverse considerations to that plan?

Rosalinda Barrera
Ruth, just have buy-in from the parents. The kids will have a great time!

Ruth
Thanks so much for your comment—and I'm sorry I missed most of your Chat—I will look forward to seeing the transcript and looking at some of the resources.

Ivys
Rosalinda, me gustaría saber si esta charla se llevará a cabo en español en un futuro?
[Rosalinda, I'd like to know if this Chat will be completed in Spanish in the future?]

Rosalinda Barrera
Sí, en aproximadamente tres semanas.
[Yes, in approximately three weeks.]

IELModerator
El trasunto de esta charla estará disponible en español en aproximadamente tres o cuatro semanas en la página "Chateo interactivo en vivo":
[The transcript of this Chat will be available in Spanish in approximately three or four weeks on the Spanish Chat page: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat-sp.htm] Editor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat

That brings tonight's Chat session to a close.

Ruth
Thank you so much.

IELModerator
Thank you, Chat participants, for your interesting questions and also for your patience in waiting for responses. Please join us when the IEL Chat series resumes in autumn 2004. Watch the Chat page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htm for announcements of the dates and times of upcoming Chat sessionsEditor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

Rosalinda Barrera
I have enjoyed your questions immensely and have learned considerably from you in such a short, but intense, time period. Gracias!

IELModerator
Igualmente, gracias, Professor Rosalinda Barrera, for sharing such a wealth of good information with us tonight. Thanks again, Chat participants. May everyone have a pleasant Illinois evening.

---

Additional Questions

Question
Where can I find resources to help me teach a child whose primary language is not English? 

Rosalinda Barrera
First of all, if there is a university or college nearby, call on the education or linguistics departments for help in locating volunteers or tutors who speak other languages represented in your classroom or for accessing education/language specialists who can provide professional advice to teachers on pedagogical matters.

Also, check with state, regional, or national agencies for leads to useful resources for the classroom, both curricular and human. Here, I have in mind state education departments, public school intermediate agencies, government resource centers (e.g., educational laboratories), and the Department of Education, all of which can be accessed on the Internet or by phone.

Useful research reports on bilingual/second-language topics are available online from several sources, including the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence (CREDE) and the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), which contains products developed by the former ERIC Clearinghouse on Language and Linguistics. The CREDE Web site is available at http://www.cal.org/crede//

Practical information on teaching and learning relative to diverse learners is provided online by a number of professional organizations, including NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), NABE (National Association for Bilingual Education), and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Finally, don't forget to contact other school districts having exemplary programs and services for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Information about such districts is likely to be available from your state education agency.

The NAEYC Web site is available at http://naeyc.org/, the NABE Web site is available at http://www.nabe.org/, and the TESOL Web site is available at http://www.tesol.org. Editor's Note: this url is no longer active.

Question
What kind of activities can encourage children to include in their play those children who do not speak English?

Rosalinda Barrera
Playground activities in which children can easily participate by emulating peers or figuring out the rules through observation foster inclusion of second-language learners while also boosting their receptive and expressive language. In the classroom, activities in which children have access to a variety of props and toys that allow for familiar role-playing, such as "driving" trucks and cars, "building" with saws and hammers, "cooking" with pots and pans, or "dressing up" also make for participation that does not require much expressive language.

Not to be forgotten—music, song, and dance are excellent means for involving all children regardless of backgrounds, especially if the offerings are multicultural or familiar to the target children.

Question
What kinds of books are best to use with a group of children that includes those who speak little English?

Rosalinda Barrera
It would be beneficial to young second-language learners if their classroom environments included the following types of books:

1. culturally familiar storybooks and information books in the native language that could be read to them regularly;

2. concept books in English that could be read to them in an interactive manner, allowing the children to learn/practice English in the process;

3. predictable, rhythmical texts that might invite the children to learn repeated words and phrases in English;

4. books with story lines already familiar to them in their home language, easing the burden of constructing story meaning; and

5. multicultural picture books depicting diverse peoples and communities, perhaps resembling the target children.

The ultimate goal is to have the non-native English-speaking children find and see themselves in the books that are being shared with them in the classroom (see Barrera, Thompson, & Dressman, 1997).

For leads on specific literature that can serve to make the classroom book program more inclusive, consult Kaleidoscope (1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions), the multicultural booklist of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the bibliographies and annual book choices of the Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

The NCTE Web site is available at http://www.ncte.org/, and the CCBC Web site is available at http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc. On the latter Web site, some bibliographies can be found at http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/public2.htm Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/bibBio.asp, and links to book awards can be found at http://www.soemadison.wisc.edu/ccbc/awards.htm Editor's note: This url has changed:http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/links/links.asp?idLinksCategory=2.

Question
Why should children be encouraged to learn to read in both their native language and English?

Rosalinda Barrera
Theoretically, learning to read is an easier process when the language and content of the text are familiar to the reader, allowing the child to draw on his or her knowledge of both dimensions to figure out how print works. In situations of "sequential" bilingualism, in which acquisition of a first language precedes that of a second language, learning to read in the first language capitalizes on the stronger of the two systems and paves the way for subsequent transfer of basic reading abilities to the second language, especially if the two languages reflect similarities in orthography and print orientation. As such, literacy ability in the first language serves as a foundation for literacy development in the second language. (This has been the case in many transitional bilingual education programs.)

In situations of "simultaneous" bilingualism, in which two languages are being acquired concurrently without a clear first or second language (see Tabors, 1997), learning to read might occur in both or either of the two languages, or a combination of the two. (This is the case in two-way immersion programs.) Notably, what is important in each of these situations is that the process of learning to read be a "meaning-full" process for young learners, allowing them to draw on their knowledge resources to construct new understandings of how print works, not an abstract or nonsensical process in which learners' resources cannot be put to use.

Question
Does it help immigrant children to discuss their country of origin with the class, or does it make them feel singled out as different?

Rosalinda Barrera
I have known young immigrant preschoolers who have talked about their homeland in their native language with one another and with me, recalling relatives and life there in great detail. However, it may be difficult for children who are relative newcomers to talk about their homeland in English.

If the entire class participates in a unit on homes or places, it would be appropriate for the immigrant child to discuss his or her former home (although "country" might be an abstract concept for some children). Bear in mind that this activity might not be appropriate for a refugee child who may be in the United States with his or her family after having fled from the home country due to adverse conditions or circumstances.

Question
How can teachers encourage cooperative learning in a classroom where children speak different languages?

Rosalinda Barrera
Cooperative groups are one form of collaborative grouping found in early childhood classrooms. When the class is multilingual and second-language acquisition is the goal, then having small groups of children that include an advanced or native English speaker is advantageous from the perspective of language modeling.

In a preschool classroom, for example, the teacher may monitor one cooperative group while the paraprofessional and/or classroom volunteer(s) monitor other groups. It has been noted that the specific structure of collaborative groups is not as important as the quality of the opportunities for interaction provided by such arrangements (see Peregoy & Boyle, 2001).

Creating a low-risk, low-anxiety environment for the children enhances their ability to interact with one another socially and linguistically and to participate in cooperative groups. Center activities during free-choice time and that allow small groups of children to interact with props, games, toys, and assorted manipulatives are suited for gradually introducing cooperative grouping into the early childhood curriculum.

Question
Are the computer programs that are designed to teach vocabulary to preschool children helpful to English learners?

Rosalinda Barrera
Instructional materials designed with native English-speaking children in mind, including vocabulary software, generally are not appropriate for use with children in the process of learning English as a second language. However, it needs to be remembered that young children often learn English as a second language from many different sources providing language input at varying levels of difficulty.

Consequently, some young English language learners may spend time at a computer in the classroom, interacting to some degree with software designed for their native English peers and apparently enjoying the "game-like" experience. This situation might become a concern if the computer were seen as a substitute for vocabulary development for these children, or if the children were relegated to such instruction for extended periods of time.

Question
I am confused by some of the terminology related to students whose home language is not English. Could you please define some relevant terms?

Rosalinda Barrera
We have prepared a brief glossary of terms related to second-language learning. You can find these terms on the resource page for this Chat:
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/barrera/sup.htm#glossary.

Question
Are the language immersion, dual-language immersion, and bilingual approaches all suitable for prekindergarten children? Are there advantages to one approach over another?

Rosalinda Barrera
Recent longitudinal research by Wayne Thomas and Virginia Collier (1997) on various approaches to bilingual education showed language-minority children attaining the highest educational outcomes in dual-language immersion programs, as compared to more traditional forms of one-way bilingual education. (However, this study did not include preschool children.)

From a pluralistic perspective, this model is also more desirable than one-way bilingual programs because of its integrative nature. But it should be noted that implementation of bilingual instructional models in public preschool education in the United States, whether federally funded or state-funded, has been relatively limited overall, and so the research evidence is sparse.

Question
What, if anything, should early childhood educators know about the "English Plus" and "English Only" movements?

Rosalinda Barrera
The former connotes an additive approach to early childhood education; the latter, subtractive schooling (see Tabors, 1997; Jalongo, 2003). Furthermore, the idea of English-only instruction runs counter to early childhood educators' beliefs in developmentally appropriate practice as well as culturally responsive education. Language researchers such as Lily Wong Fillmore have pointed to the potential linguistic, cognitive, and social problems that arise when young children are schooled in programs that forbid inclusion of their home language and culture.

Question
Are there early childhood programs in which children from English-speaking families could learn Spanish while Spanish-speaking classmates learn English in the same classroom? Are such programs a good idea?

Rosalinda Barrera
An early childhood program model should be selected with the local context in mind, particularly the children and families it is intended to serve (i.e., the target population) as well as the instructional personnel who will implement it. Check the "Directory of Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Programs in the US" at http://www.cal.org/twi/directory/ for the latest information on current programs.

Question
Are there phases a teacher might recognize in a young child's acquisition of English when she is (for example) the only non-English-speaking child in an English-speaking classroom? Do you think these phases might differ depending on the home language of the child?

Rosalinda Barrera
As already stated above (in the question about ways that a child whose home language is not English might react to being in an English-only classroom), the young English language learner in an English-speaking classroom, regardless of his or her home language, may go through a silent phase of several months in which there is little or no production of the second language in the classroom.

As the child develops minimal receptive control of the language, understanding simple directives, for example, he or she may continue to speak in the native language, beginning to mix in a few isolated words of English (referred to as code-mixing). Gradually, as the child begins to understand more of the second language, he or she may use selected stock or formulaic expressions in English or personally significant one- or two-word phrases.

Subsequently, as the child comes to understand more and more English, his or her expressive language also grows in complexity but often is characterized by developmental errors or miscues or code-mixing or code-switching (inclusion of entire phrases or sentences from the first language into second-language utterances) (Jalongo, 2003). According to researcher Virginia Collier (1995), the final phase in this sequence, attainment of native-like proficiency in the second language, may take 7-10 years if the child is in an all-English program and had no English experience prior to entering school.

Question
A colleague of mine wants to learn conversational Spanish in order to communicate better with Spanish-speaking children and families in her school. She doesn't expect to really become fluent, though, and she wouldn't call herself a bilingual teacher. But someone she works with thinks it is a bad idea for her to be talking to the children in Spanish at all because she will not be fluent. Is there any research that might support either position?

Rosalinda Barrera
By attempting to learn words/phrases from the home languages of the diverse children in their classrooms, teachers show they value those languages and the children who speak them. They also demonstrate that teachers can be second-language learners, too. As a result, their young charges may assume a "teacher" role, presenting words for learning by their teacher, whom they will know is not fluent but willing to learn.

Question
I have a Spanish-speaking child whose parent objects to her child learning English. What should I do?

Rosalinda Barrera
Most non-native English-speaking parents want their children to be bilingual, that is, not only to continue to grow in their home language but also to learn English. Parents who fear that their child will lose the native language need to be encouraged to use the language at home as much as possible in order to offset the increasingly greater exposure to English that their child is likely to encounter away from home (see Tabors, 1997). In all of this, the home language deserves to be maintained by the child for communication with significant others (for example, family members, relatives, and friends) who do not speak English.

Question
What are some ways that I can communicate with non-English-speaking parents?

Rosalinda Barrera
Most important is not to enlist bilingual/ESL children to act as interpreters between their parents and teachers. This frequent practice is not healthy for the parent-child relationship because it causes a reversal of roles, with undue pressure placed on the child to "speak" for the adult and for the parent to be dependent on the child.

Enlist the aid of school personnel hired as interpreters, or request that such services be obtained by the school district in order to facilitate communication with all parents. In the interim, enlist the help of bilingual school liaison or bilingual volunteers who can serve as interpreters, especially during parent-teacher conferences. Discuss this need at the school or district level as soon as possible as better communication with diverse families and communities deserves attention.

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For More Information

Barrera, R. B., Thompson, V., & Dressman, M. (1997). Kaleidoscope: A multicultural booklist (2nd ed.). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Collier, V. P. (1995). Acquiring a second language for school. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.

Gregory, E. (Ed.) (1997). One child, many worlds: Early learning in multicultural communities. New York: Teachers College Press.

Heath, S. B. (1983). Ways with words: Language, life, and work in communities and classrooms. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Jalongo, M. R. (2003). Early childhood language arts (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Lindfors, J. W. (1987). Children's language and learning (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Nieto, S. (2002). Language, culture, and teaching: Critical perspectives for a new century. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Ovando, C. J., & Collier, V. P. (1998). Bilingual and ESL classrooms: Teaching in multicultural contexts. Boston: McGraw Hill.

Peregoy, S. F., & Boyle, O. F. (2001). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: A resource book for K-12 teachers. New York: Addison-Wesley.

Suarez-Orozco, C., & Suarez-Orozco, M. M. (2001). Children of immigration. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Tabors, P. O. (1997). One child, two languages: A guide for preschool educators of children learning English as a second language. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Thomas, W. P., & Collier, V. P. (1997). School effectiveness for language minority students. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.

Willis, A. I., Garcia, G. E., Barrera, R., Harris, V. J., & Garcia, G. E. (2003). Multicultural issues in literacy research and practice. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

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