Dual Language Learners in the Early Childhood Classroom

The school readiness of young dual language learners depends on high-quality preschool programs that meet their needs— but how should schools promote and measure the progress of children learning two languages? Find out what the research says in this authoritative resource, which investigates the experiences of dual language learners in preschool classrooms and the policy implications of these critical findings.

The most comprehensive, up-to-date research volume on this topic, this book is a must for policy makers and administrators serving the growing number of dual language learners in today's classrooms. Presenting the eye-opening results of their observational studies of early education classrooms, more than 25 experts give readers the invaluable insights they'll need to

• assess the quality of instruction and classroom practices with sensitive, reliable measurement tools
• identify and strengthen factors that contribute to the development of English language proficiency
• determine whether instruction in children's home language helps them develop school readiness skills
• ensure a culturally responsive classroom environment that promotes gains in both languages
• support the teacher-child relationship, vital to promoting language and literacy development
• understand and improve the early learning experiences of low-income dual language learners
• shape future research efforts and policy decisions with a helpful synthesis of the research in this volume

With this compendium of current research— sure to influence preschool practices for years to come— policy makers and administrators will have the foundational knowledge they need to ensure a high-quality, appropriate education for young children learning two languages.

See how this product helps strengthen Head Start program quality and school readiness.

Carollee Howes, Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Improving Child Care Quality, Department of Education, and a professor of the Applied Developmental Psychology doctorate program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Howes is an internationally recognized developmental psychologist focusing on children's social and emotional development. She has served as a principal investigator on a number of seminal studies in early child care and preschool education, including the National Child Care Staffing Study; the Family and Relative Care Study; the Cost, Quality, and Outcomes Study; and the National Study of Child Care in Low Income Families.

Dr. Howes has been active in public policy for children and families in California as well as across the United States. Her research focuses on children's experiences in child care, their concurrent and long-term outcomes from child care experiences, and child care quality and efforts to improve child care quality. Dr. Howes is the editor of Teaching 4- to 8-Year-Olds: Literacy, Math, Multiculturalism, and Classroom Community (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2003) and the coeditor of The Promise of Pre-K (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2009) and Foundations for Teaching Excellence: Connecting Early Childhood Quality Rating, Professional Development, and Competency Systems in States (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2011).

Jason T. Downer, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and Director of the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning at the University of Virginia. His research emphasizes the promotion of children's academic and social competence through targeted and preventive interventions during early schooling. Specifically, he engages in developing and evaluating school-based teacher consultation and prevention programming designed to enhance teacher practices and provide students with equitable learning opportunities that increase academic success and strengthen social-emotional skills. He is an academic 'grandchild' of Dr. Fantuzzo, and forever grateful for John's sage advice and modeling of community-engaged scholarship.

Robert C. Pianta, Ph.D., is Dean of the Curry School of Education, Director of the Center for Advanced Study in Teaching and Learning and Novartis U.S. Foundation Professor of Education at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. A former special education teacher, Dr. Pianta is a developmental, school, and clinical child psychologist whose work focuses on assessment and improvement of teacher-student interactions and their role in fostering children's learning and development.

Dr. Pianta is a principal investigator on several major grants including the National Center for Research in Early Childhood Education and the Virginia Education Sciences Training Program, and he has worked closely with the Gates Foundation-funded Measure of Effective Teaching project.

He is the author of more than 250 journal articles, chapters, and books in the areas of early childhood education, teacher performance assessment, professional development, and teacher–child relationships, and he consults regularly with federal agencies, foundations and universities.

Ellen C. Frede, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Early Learning, Research, and Training, Acelero Learning, Inc., 63 West 125th Street, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10027. Until recently, Dr. Frede served as Co-director at the National Institute for Early Education Research. She is a developmental psychologist who specializes in research to inform policy and practice and helped design and administer New Jersey's successful Abbott Preschool Program.

Dr. Susan Landry, a nationally recognized expert in early childhood education, is the founder and director of the Children’s Learning Institute. Dr. Landry’s research into environmental factors that promote early cognitive growth and development led to her development of the framework for the Center for Improving the Readiness of Children for Learning and Education (CIRCLE), which led to the implementation of the Texas Early Education Model (TEEM) (now known as Texas School Ready!) in prekindergarten classrooms across Texas.

Dr. Michael López is Executive Director of the National Center for Latino Child & Family Research, which is dedicated to research on issues relevant to practices and policies affecting the lives of Latino children and families. Previously, Dr. López directed the Child Outcomes Research and Evaluation team in the Administration for Children and Families, where he managed a number of largescale national, Head Start research studies, including the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey; the Head Start Transition Evaluation; and the National Head Start Impact Study, a nationally representative, randomized study examining the impact of Head Start on children’s school readiness. Dr. López’s current work is focused on applied policy research and programmatic activities on such topics as early childhood care and education; language and literacy development; bilingual education; early childhood prevention and intervention programs; and young children’s mental health, with an emphasis on at-risk, low-income, and/or culturally and linguistically diverse populations.