Partner with families to learn about their language practices, stories, and literacy-related interactions at home, recognizing that children bring rich knowledge and skills from their first languages and cultural experiences. Dual language learners should have opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in the standard in both their first language and English, with supports such as first-language use, cross-language connections, gestures, visuals, and props. These opportunities allow young dual language learners to build on what they know and can do in their first language as they continue to develop communication, language, and literacy skills in all their languages.
Encourage children to create animals out of plastic visors, with wiggly eyes, glued-on ears and pom-pom noses in the art center. Have the children wear these and act out songs and stories. Encourage and model voice inflections and facial expressions.
