TM ELD Introduction

Providing technical assistance to teachers can sometimes feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? How do you prioritize the areas that need to be addressed? How do you approach professional development so that it is meaningful to teachers?

This trainer’s manual is organized to help in your work with teachers as they support young dual language learners’ English language development. Guidance from a trainer or mentor can help teachers gain confidence as they work to better understand 1) second language acquisition in early childhood, 2) the paths children follow in becoming bilingual, and 3) the strategies which foster English language development. This manual is designed to do the following:

• Help identify and address specific teacher needs
• Provide an array of training ideas and strategies from which to choose
• Maintain useful resources related to dual language learners from both California Department of Education (CDE) documents and outside sources

GUIDED OBSERVATION

The first section in this trainer’s manual, "Guided Observation", simplifies the observation process by listing a guiding principle from the California Preschool Curriculum Framework (CDE, 2010) and offering concrete examples of what the principle might look like in a preschool classroom. For example, the observation that a Teacher creates and maintains a culturally and linguistically responsive environment, might be reflected in a classroom where teachers and staff greet each child individually using the child’s primary language to say “hello.” It is important to note that the examples listed are simply examples for each of the principles and that a teacher might demonstrate each principle in a multitude of ways.  The guided observation is not intended to be used as a classroom or teacher assessment, but rather a guide to assist efforts in supporting teacher practice. References are provided following each example. The abbreviations refer to the resources listed in the "CDD Resources" section of this trainer’s manual. The cited references are as follows:

• California Preschool Curriculum Framework (PCF)
• California Preschool Learning Foundations (PLF)
• Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)
• Preschool English Learners Resource Guide (PEL)
• Desired Results Developmental Profile © (DRDP©)
• Prekindergarten Learning & Development Guidelines

Professional development TOOLBOX

Once a trainer observes teachers and environments using the guided observation in this trainer’s manual, he/she will have a general idea in which areas teachers might need additional support and/or coaching. The "Professional Development Toolbox" section offers professional development strategies and ideas for each of the principles listed in the California Preschool Curriculum Framework. It is recommended however that before using the toolbox, teachers be given the opportunity to conduct a self-evaluation. A self-evaluation tool is available in the program guidelines handouts. 

From the self-evaluation process, teachers will identify their strengths and one or two areas requiring assistance. Given the information from the self-evaluation, in addition to classroom observations, the trainer will be able to best identify which coaching strategies/ideas from the toolbox might be most beneficial to the teacher. Below is an example of the process of collecting data, the type of data which may be collected and possible course of action.

Information Gathered from Observation
The trainer observed that classroom labels are only in English and there is a limited number of printed materials in the home languages of the children.

Information Gathered from Teacher’s Self-Evaluation
According to the information in the self-evaluation, the teacher feels that, with the assistance of families and community members, she created a dramatic play area that is rich in culturally and linguistically diverse materials.  Using a strengths-based approach, the trainer may share observations that illustrate the creation and maintenance of a culturally and linguistically responsive environment.  The trainer might probe by stating the following, “Thinking about what you already do, let’s discuss next steps. What area(s) would you want to enhance?”  The teacher might share that she needs help understanding how the home language and second language development are connected.

Gathering information from conversations and interactions with the teacher, the guided observation tool, and the teacher self-evaluation process will help the trainer determine which strategies from the toolbox might be most beneficial. In this scenario, the information gathered is that the teacher may need support in 1) identifying the attributes of a culturally and linguistically responsive environment, 2) understanding the connections between first and second language acquisition, and 3) strategies for building on the home language as foundation for learning. Although there are several strategies in the toolbox that address each of these areas, it is best to begin with one to two strategies.

The following strategies are from the toolbox and address the strategies for identifying the attributes of a culturally and linguistically responsive environment:

• Assist teachers to identify some key words or phrases to learn in the children’s home language(s). Teachers might ask parents, siblings, other staff or community members who speak the child’s home language to provide a few key words and phrases for hello, goodbye, thank you, please, and sit down. (PCF, p. 198)
• With the teachers, watch the “Create a Climate of Belonging” section of the World Full of Language (CDE, 2006) DVD.  Using a T-Chart, facilitate a discussion of the ways that teachers already create a linguistically and culturally appropriate environment and enhancements they can make. (World Full of Language; PCF, p. 181)

RESOURCES

This trainer’s manual has two resource sections. The first section provides a list of CDE resources including the California Preschool Learning Foundations, the California Preschool Curriculum Framework, the Desired Results Developmental Profile© (DRDP©), and Preschool English Learners: Principles and Practices for Promoting Language, Literacy and Learning as well as outside resources such as, the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS). For each resource listed, the sections and/or pages that refer to English language development in young children are listed below the resource description.

The second resource section includes additional resources such as websites and journal articles that address second language acquisition in early childhood.

Utilizing and referencing these resources will help teachers become more aware of the research available in the area second language acquisition in early childhood. Moreover, it is highly recommended that teachers read the California Preschool Learning Foundations to better understand typical patterns of second language development in the early, middle, and later phases. Additionally, The California Preschool Curriculum Framework will provide teachers with guidance for planning experiences and classroom environments that align with the foundations, and are meaningful for young children, developmentally appropriate, and inclusive of children who speak a language other than English in their home and children with disabilities or other special needs.