DHHS ACF Region X

1
Supporting English Language Learners Presenters
Christy Cox, Region X Child Development and
Early Learning Specialist, christine.cox_at_acf.hhs.g
ov John Borrero, Region II Child Development and
Early Learning Specialist, john.borrero_at_acf.hhs.go
v
Region X Conference Call Wednesday, May 14th,
2008 1100 AM 1200 PM PST

• As a child who was a second language learner
  from first generation immigrants, being
  culturally competent in English, and in the home
  language, has been essential and invaluable. This
  is because one cannot help but feel a deep sense
  of loss when one's home language cannot be passed
  on to our own children. It is something that is
  so essential to one's identity and self-esteem.
• - Head Start English Language Learners Focus
  Group Report

DHHS ACF Region X
2
Conference Call Agenda

• Region X Cameos
• Head Start Mandates
• Research Overview
• Questions and Comments
• Best Practices
• Systemic Approach
• Resources
• Questions and Comments

3
Region X Cameo Appearances

• Eastern Oregon University Head Start, La Grande,
  OR
• Tammie McEnroe, Education and Disabilities
  Manager
• Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25,
  Pocatello, ID
• Kim Baumgart, Education and Disabilities Manager
• First AME Child and Family Center, Seattle, WA
• Jane Davies, Education and Disabilities Manager
• Skagit Islands Head Start 0-5, Mount Vernon, WA
• Joan Youngquist, Director and Becky Richter,
  Education Manager

4
Office of Head Start Mandates

• Head Start Performance Standards
• Head Start School Readiness Act 2007
• Head Start Child Outcomes Framework

5
Research OverviewVocabulary and Definitions

• Bilingual
• Dual-Language
• English Language Learner (ELL)
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Home Language
• Immersion

• Language Acquisition
• Limited English Proficiency
• Primary or Dominant Language
• Secondary Language
• Sequential Acquisition
• Simultaneous Acquisition

6
Research OverviewDispelling Myths and
Misconceptions with Relevant Research

• Myths and Misconceptions
• Young children learn a second language more
  easily and faster than adolescents and adults.
• Immersion in English speaking classrooms is the
  fastest way to learn.
• Parents should be encouraged to use English in
  the home.
• It is detrimental to have children learn more
  than one language.

7
Questions and Comments
8
Best Practices Ongoing Child Assessment

• Stages of Second Language Development
• Home Language Use
• Receptive, Silent, or Non-Verbal
• Telegraphic or Formulaic Speech
• Productive
• Developmental Continuum
• The English as an Additional Language Speaking
  and Listening Continuum
• From Becoming Bilingual First and Second
  Language Acquisition in the Head Start English
  Language Learner Toolkit
• From Developmental Continuums A Framework for
  Literacy Instruction and Assessment (2001) by
  Bonnie Campbell Hill. Christian-Gorden Publisher

9
Best PracticesMeaningful Language Interaction

• Language is the Key Talking and Playing
  Talking and Books
• Follow the CAR
• Follow the childs lead
• Comment and wait
• Ask questions and wait
• Respond by adding a little more and wait

Contact Lora Heulitt at the National Head Start
Family Literacy Center for more
information. lora.heulitt_at_csuci.edu

• El Idioma Es la Clave Conversación y Juego Y
  Conversación y Libros
• Siguiendo el CARRO
• Seguir la guía del niño
• Comentar y esperar
• Averigüar (hacer preguntas) y esperar
• Responder, aumentando un poco más
• Repitir Otra vez en español (the home language)

10
Best Practices Puppetry

• Preliminary research has shown puppetry use as
  promising practice for promoting
• Language development with students acquiring both
  their first and their second language
• Social/Emotional supports
• Instant Puppetry Activity
• Share a book of your choice. Invite kids to draw
  the characters and cut them out (or offer pre-cut
  puppets that kids can color or decorate, or use
  pre-made puppets). Then ask children to retell
  and reenact the story from the book with the
  puppets they made. Puppets can be used on an
  overhead projector to create shadows or stapled
  to a popsicle stick and used as a stick puppet.
• For more great ideas, read the article on the
  Thinking Classroom website  http//ct-net.net/tc_s
  ample_6-1 or visit the Puppet Tools website
  www.puppetools.com.
• Resources provided by Dr. Vida Zuljevik at
  pravopis2000_at_yahoo.com.

11
Best PracticesTen things you can do
12
Systems Approach

• Head Start systems
• Early Head Start systems
• Head Start English Language Learners Systems and
  Services Grid - handout
• Region V, Lydia Zapata and Linda Hamburg

13
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center
Resourceshttp//eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov

• Head Start Bulletin 78 English Language
  Learners (2005). Head Start Bureau.
• http//eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/ecdh/eecd/Englis
  h20Language20Learners/Acquisition20of20English
  /edudev_bul_00016_012107.html or as a PDF file
  http//eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/resources/ECLKC_
  Bookstore/PDFs/505FB871D88B0C1DB0F66C2067608880.pd
  f
• Head Start English Language Learner Focus Group
  Report (2002). Head Start Bureau.
• http//www.headstartinfo.org/publications/english_
  learners/index.htm
• Head Start English Language Learners Tool Kit.
  Head Start Bureau
• http//www.headstartinfo.org/English_lang_learners
  _tkit.htm
• Linguistic Diversity and Early Literacy Serving
  Culturally Diverse Families in Early Head Start
  Technical Assistance Paper 5 (2001). Early Head
  Start National Resource Center.
• http//www.ehsnrc.org/pdffiles/TA5.pdf
• Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs
  (1996). Head Start Bureau.
• http//www.headstartinfo.org/cgi-bin/pubcatstore.c
  fm?CatID55dodetail in English and Spanish
• The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework (Updated
  2003). Head Start Bureau.
• http//www.hsnrc.org/CDI/pdfs/UGCOF.pdf

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Resources

• Articles or Papers
• Challenging Common Myths About Young English
  Language Learners (January 2008). by Linda M.
  Espinosa in http//www.fcd-us.org/resources/resour
  ces_show.htm?doc_id669789
• Myths and Misconceptions about Second Language
  Learning What Every Teacher Needs to Unlearn
  (1992). by Barry McLaughlin, http//www.ncela.gwu.
  edu/pubs/ncrcdsll/epr5.htm
• Bilingual Infant/Toddler Environments Supporting
  Language and Learning in Our Youngest Children
  and Making A Difference A Framework for
  Supporting First and Second Language Development
  in Preschool Children of Migrant Farm Workers in
  Spanish and English at http//ece.aed.org/publicat
  ions/mshs.htm  
• Evaluation and Assessment in Early Childhood
  Special Education Children Who Are Culturally
  and Linguistically Diverse (1999). Washington
  State Office of Superintendent of Public
  Instruction, Special Education http//www.k12.wa.u
  s/Specialed/pubdocs/CLD.pdf
• Books
• Genesee, Paradis and Crago (2004). Dual
  Language Development Disorders-A Handbook on
  Bilingualism Second Language Learning.
• Tabors, Paton O. (2008). One Child, Two
  Languages A Guide for Early Childhood Educators
  of Children Learning English as a Second
  Language.

Specifically concerning children with special
needs or disabilities.
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Resources

• Website
• Colorín Colorado http//www.colorincolorado.org/
  A parent and teacher-friendly website funded by
  Dept. of Education/Office of Special Education
  Programs, American Federation of Teachers, WETA
  and National Institute for Literacy, available in
  Spanish and English.
• Other Resources
• Language is the Key (2002) by Washington Learning
  Systems, Inc. http//www.walearning.com/ (One
  free copy per Head Start program distributed by
  the Head Start Family Literacy Center. Contact
  lora.heulitt_at_csuci.edu for more information.)
• English as an Additional Language Developmental
  Continuum in Developmental Continuums A
  Framework for Literacy Instruction and Assessment
  (2001) by Bonnie Campbell Hill.
  http//aes.ac.in/es/CDRomresourcesforteachers/Deve
  lopmental20Continuums/CD-ROM20Resources/CONTIN/E
  ALCOLOR.pdf