This book is for early childhood educators who work or will work with the growing number of dual language learners, within the age range of three to five in family home centers, private preschool centers, Head Start classrooms, or state funded preschool and kindergarten programs. General education teachers, bilingual teachers, English as a second language teachers, and special education specialists will find the information useful. Instructional leaders, such as program directors and administrators, who work with children in preschool and kindergarten, will also find the information beneficial as they develop partnerships with families and colleagues. This book answers the question what do early childhood educators need to understand to better address the linguistic, cognitive, and socio-emotional needs of all DLLs in their classrooms? The majority of the teachers in dual language programs with Spanish and English-dominant speakers learn academic content in two languages. It is through this lens that the authors have approached the writing of this text. There are however, over 350 languages spoken within the U.S (U.S. Census, 2015). This means emergent bilingual children come from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. While teachers cannot be expected to teach in all languages, the basic principles of this book help teachers gain a richer understanding of the interdependent relationship among culture, language, and learning. With this understanding, teachers can implement intentional practices that nurture children’s bilingual identities and augment their growth in all developmental domains through the concepts and strategies presented in this text.

This book brings together multiple voices from a range of thought leaders in early childhood education to describe both how structural inequities deeply embedded in US society have a negative impact on children’s development and learning and how educators who have a strong understanding of how children's development and learning takes place within a cultural context are equipped to create effective and affirming environments, instructional activities, and assessments. Research indicates that children benefit from highly qualified, reflective teachers who provide developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and linguistically responsive experiences and interactions. The book includes recommendations for ways the broader early childhood system, institutions of higher education, and policy can support early childhood educators in meeting their professional and ethical responsibilities to our most vulnerable populations. Also includes concrete examples and approaches classroom teachers can implement to address equity as they plan lessons, select materials, and support children and families. The book expands on key points of NAEYC’s Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education position statement (2019) so that educators, policymakers, and other key stakeholders are knowledgeable, skilled, and equipped to transform the lives of children and their families.