Today's classrooms are filled with children with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In classrooms that were once dominated by English-speaking children, educators are now faced with the challenge of meeting individual needs of the children who speak a variety of other languages. For some teachers, the challenge of language barriers can be especially difficult. Language barriers between teachers, children, and families can have a significant impact on the experiences a child has in a school setting. It is now more than ever that teachers must feel confident to face such challenges and stay informed about best practices for these learners.
In the field of early childhood education, providing developmentally appropriate practice for preschool and kindergarten children is a must. But what does that mean? How should educators go about ensuring DAP and meeting individual learning needs in today's diverse classrooms? How do we know we are providing the kind of support that each child needs in terms of language development?
I would like to explore ways to measure the language development of dual-language learners. (DLLs) In order to know how effective our instruction is in facilitating growth in language, we must find a way to measure it. Understanding the language needs of preschool children can tell us information about the academic success they can have in later years. More specifically, how can this assessment help drive instruction to increase the outcomes of children's early literacy development?
Much of current research on the topic has come out of the United States. There is limited research on appropriate assessments in international school settings. Although there are many similarities in the populations regarding cultural and ethnic diversity, there are also many differences. For example, exposure to speaking English occurs during school hours. The rest of the time, the language of the home country (i.e. where the international school is located) is spoken. The outside environment consists of a culture unique to that country. For this reason, some of the generalizations made in research from the United States cannot be generalized to an international school population.
When thinking about the influence that the environment has on a child's development, these considerations cannot be ignored. I would like to find an assessment that is developmentally appropriate, that helps guide instruction to meet the needs of each child, and can be used in many international schools where the primary language of instruction is English.
In the field of early childhood education, providing developmentally appropriate practice for preschool and kindergarten children is a must. But what does that mean? How should educators go about ensuring DAP and meeting individual learning needs in today's diverse classrooms? How do we know we are providing the kind of support that each child needs in terms of language development?
I would like to explore ways to measure the language development of dual-language learners. (DLLs) In order to know how effective our instruction is in facilitating growth in language, we must find a way to measure it. Understanding the language needs of preschool children can tell us information about the academic success they can have in later years. More specifically, how can this assessment help drive instruction to increase the outcomes of children's early literacy development?
Much of current research on the topic has come out of the United States. There is limited research on appropriate assessments in international school settings. Although there are many similarities in the populations regarding cultural and ethnic diversity, there are also many differences. For example, exposure to speaking English occurs during school hours. The rest of the time, the language of the home country (i.e. where the international school is located) is spoken. The outside environment consists of a culture unique to that country. For this reason, some of the generalizations made in research from the United States cannot be generalized to an international school population.
When thinking about the influence that the environment has on a child's development, these considerations cannot be ignored. I would like to find an assessment that is developmentally appropriate, that helps guide instruction to meet the needs of each child, and can be used in many international schools where the primary language of instruction is English.
