For Young ELLs, Learning in Two Languages Best, Review Says

From http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2013/08/for_young_ells_learning_in_two_languages_best_review_says.html

For Young ELLs, Learning in Two Languages Best, Review Says
By Lesli A. Maxwell
August 19, 2013

Instruction in English and in a child's home language in the preschool and early elementary years leads to the best outcomes for the youngest dual-language learners, both in terms of academic-content achievement and as English-language proficiency, a new research review and policy brief concludes.

In fact, evidence suggests that total immersion in English in the preschool years for students who speak another language at home leads to a loss of their first language, as well as lower academic achievement in the long run, writes Linda M. Espinosa, an early childhood and dual-language expert. This latest review— which is an update to a policy brief that Espinosa wrote five years ago—draws on newer evidence about young dual-language learners to counter what the author calls "common myths" about these students.

The brief was published by the Foundation for Child Development, a New York City-based philanthropy, and is the tenth in a series that focuses on policy recommendations for the pre-K through 3rd-grade years.

Read the full article at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2013/08/for_young_ells_learning_in_two_languages_best_review_says.html