YOUR TOOLKIT FOR WORKING WITH

Culturally & Linguistically

Diverse Children

Did you know that a

language other than English is now spoken in more than 20% of American homes?*

You’ve probably seen the evidence yourself, as your program welcomes more and more culturally and linguistically diverse young children. You might be wondering about the best ways to

• screen and assess diverse children

• address the learning needs of dual language learners

• build a culturally diverse classroom while following Common Core State Standards

This toolkit is here to help! Here are 26 great online resources packed with tips, advice, and free downloads you can use to meet the learning needs of diverse children and give their families effective, respectful support. Bookmark these websites and articles for easy reference, and check out our Cultural Diversity booklist
for much more!

*U.S. Census Bureau

Screening and Assessing Culturally and Linguistically

Diverse Children

3 Steps to a Better Assessment for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children

Dual- and multi-language learners are overrepresented in special education services—often because of preventable errors in the assessment process. Make sure you’re conducting the best possible assessments with the valuable tips in this article. Read More

Assessment of English Language Learners: Challenges and Strategies

Understand the challenges of assessing English language learners, and then get practical guidance on gathering information about children’s progress in both their home language and English. Read More

Guidelines for Cultural and Linguistic Adaptation of ASQ-3™ and ASQ:SE

How can you adapt the popular ASQ screening tools for use with children and families from diverse cultures? These clear and concrete guidelines are a great place to start. Read More

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Resources

What is Cultural Reciprocity and Why Does It Matter?

Sometimes we’re not even aware of the cultural assumptions we carry—and how they might affect our interactions with children and families. Discover how “cultural reciprocity” can help in this eye-opening interview with authors Maya Kalyanpur and Beth Harry. Read More

Learn about the Skilled Dialogue Approach to Responding to Cultural Diversity

These video clips introduce you to Skilled Dialogue, a unique, effective, and field-tested model for interactions that honor the cultural beliefs and values of everyone involved. o Understand the background and nature of Skilled Dialogue. Clip 1 o Discover how the model benefits students of all cultures. Clip 2 o Learn what makes Skilled Dialogue different from other approaches. Clip 3

Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood

Watch this engaging video for ideas on how to incorporate and represent diverse cultures in your early childhood classroom. Watch Video

What Are Some Common Misconceptions About the Needs of Internationally Adopted Children?

Internationally adopted children develop differently from nonadopted children and bilingual children. In this interview with author and international adoption expert Deborah Hwa-Froelich, learn how you can help address the health, learning, and social-emotional needs of children adopted from abroad. Read More

Responsiveness to ALL Children, Families, and Professionals: Integrating Cultural and

Linguistic Diversity into Policy and Practice

Discover 7 characteristics of responsive organizations in this position statement from the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Read More

Webinar: The Role of an RTI-based Approach in Addressing the Learning

Needs of Young DLLs

Watch this free webinar and see how to address the learning and development of young dual language learners (DLLs) with the RTI-based framework, Recognition & Response for Dual Language Learners (R&R-DLL). Watch Webinar

NEA Diversity Tool Kit

This online toolkit gives you an informative primer on 7 critical topic areas related to diversity, including social justice, gender, class, and race and ethnicity. Read More

Guidelines for Working with Interpreters

How can you partner effectively with interpreters to benefit children and families? Apply these helpful, real-world guidelines from the DVD Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Read More

How Important is Cultural Diversity at Your School?

How can your school take a proactive approach to acknowledging and respecting diversity— and making sure all students flourish? This article from Greatschools is a clear and concise call to action. Read More

Resources for Working with Dual Language

Learners

A Guide for Engaging English Language Learner Families

This in-depth guide walks school leaders through 20 strategies for engaging and supporting families of English language learners. Read More

What Are the Myths About Dual Language Development?

In this Q&A, the authors of the bestselling Dual Language Development & Disorders debunk myths and outline best practices for working with young children who are bilingual or learning a second language. Read More

Tips for Supporting Dual Language Learners at 5 Key Points of the Day

With a little planning, you can support the academic and social development of dual language learners throughout the whole school day. This article gives you ready-to-use strategies for 5 key points: classroom set-up, circle time, story time, activity time, and classroom conversations. Read More

Meeting the School Readiness Needs of Latino Dual Language Learners in the Early Childhood Classroom

Prepare young Latino dual language learners for great early school experiences! Watch this free webinar with Dr. Lisa Lopez, who shares research findings on the school readiness development of dual language learners and recommends research-based practices for developing a culturally and linguistically responsive environment. Watch Webinar

Myths and Realities about Dual Language Learning

Author Fred Genesee debunks five false myths about dual language learning and gives practical advice on overcoming biases when serving DLLs in the classroom. Read More

Four Steps to Help Second-Language Learners in the Classroom

Here are four easy steps you can take right away to improve outcomes for everyone in your culturally and linguistically diverse classroom. (Includes free downloads!) Read More

Common Core and English Language Learners

How can you develop a classroom environment that welcomes and supports culturally diverse students—all while following the new Common Core State Standards? The guidelines in this webinar will help you succeed in this era of higher expectations and greater language demands. Read More

How Teachers Support English Language Learners in the Classroom

Some quick teacher tips on helping young English language learners learn new words and gain confidence in speaking English. Read More

The Challenges of Teaching English Language Learners to Read

What are the challenges of teaching children to read in a new language? Explore the answers in Becoming Bilingual, a 30-minute PBS program hosted by actress Rita Moreno. You’ll visit six cities across the country and see how different schools are taking proactive steps to support bilingual readers. Watch Video

Bilingual Education

Why is bilingual education important? Why is it controversial? This article sheds light on the debates surrounding bilingual education in the United States, presents six key facts everyone should know, and suggests directions for future improvements. Read More

Resources for Supporting Bilingual Education

Bookmark this webpage for dozens of online resources on bilingual education, including lesson plans, articles, essays, games and songs, and learning activities. Read More

A New Look at America’s English Language Learners

Myths and facts about the current generation of English language learners, from the National Education Association. Read More