Responding appropriately to the needs of a young child who is an English language learner is a concern that we all share. Over the years, we have learned that planning to meet the needs of young children begins with knowledge about their individual cultural characteristics. When we have an understanding about the cultures of the children and their families, we are better equipped to plan and select experiences that promote language learning. In some cases, your culture may be different from that of the children whom you teach. For that reason, getting to know the values, ideas, and behavioral characteristics of their cultures will help you in creating experiences and making appropriate decisions for young English language learners and for all children.
