Introducing Our New On-Demand Professional Development Course Designed to Support Teachers of Multilingual Students

Multilingualism is a gift. The ability to speak two or more languages is a powerful skill that must be celebrated and nurtured, not only in adults but beginning with our youngest learners.

Here at Teaching Strategies, we believe in the importance of designing professional development opportunities that support and inspire your professional growth as you engage with the children in your care, their families, and your community.

As an early childhood professional, you understand that the way children feel in their learning environment is directly related to their overall growth and development and future success. Recognizing and celebrating multilingualism and diversity each day enables children to view themselves as valued members of the school community and enhances our ability to find joy in embracing the similarities and differences of those around us. The act of offering extra time, support, and care to a child (and their family) who is multilingual also models being responsive to individuals’ needs.

Support Educators With Easily Accessible Professional Development

Our new online professional development course is designed to support early childhood professionals as they plan meaningful experiences that support the development and learning of all children, but especially for those children who are multilingual learners.

Thoughtful observation, planning, and partnering with children’s families strengthens relationships in valuable and lasting ways. During this 6-hour course, participants will consider opportunities in their daily routines to connect with children and their families in authentic ways and identify strategies for gathering rich observations and accurately assessing children’s growth and development, which will help them plan for culturally responsive experiences for young children.

Learners will discover and reflect upon a wide variety of developmentally appropriate, play-based strategies related to the objectives for development and learning that are both effective and easy to implement. The strategies and considerations suggested will support the development and learning of all children and are particularly helpful when considering the unique needs of children who are multilingual learners.

Our new online professional development course offers teachers and administrators a variety of resources, including real classroom examples and dozens of strategies related to

• assessing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of children who speak a different language from you;
• offering experiences that are personally and culturally meaningful to children and their families;
• building rich vocabulary;
• supporting children’s social and emotional competencies;
• using everyday moments to maximize your interactions in authentic ways; and
• establishing a warm, nurturing, and wonder-filled classroom community.