On June 2, 2016, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education (ED) released a joint statement, and corresponding toolkit, to support early childhood programs, states, and tribal communities in promoting the development and education of young dual language learners (DLLs)—children who come from homes where a language other than English is spoken. Because early childhood is a critical time for acquiring language skills, these children are often learning two (or more) languages at the same time.
More than one in four young children under age 6 in the United States have at least one parent who speaks a language other than English, and one in seven has at least one parent who is limited English proficient (LEP).
A new series of handouts from the Office of Head Start's National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness highlights the importance of home language in children's development, and how this can be supported in the home, classroom, and community.