Supporting a Diverse Early Childhood Workforce for Dual Language Learners. Policy Update. Vol. 25, No. 4

As the ethnic, racial, and cultural diversity of U.S. classrooms for young children continues to increase, it is more important than ever for early childhood educators to be prepared to meet the needs of the one in three U.S. children age 8 and under who are dual language learners (DLLs). High-quality early childhood education (ECE) programs can help ready these children for kindergarten and for learning in a new language, but their pre-K enrollment lags behind their non-DLL peers. This National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) policy update urges state boards of education to adopt a vision for supporting young DLLs that includes developing the cultural and linguistic competence of the ECE workforce.