Early Language Development

Support for the unique needs of multilingual children

Unlike monolingual children, multilingual children learn and develop two or more languages as they navigate their home, community and early care and education (ECE) settings. The experiences, environments, exposure to languages and opportunities to use language all play key roles in each child’s early language development.

While all young children need support, guidance, and positive interactions with adults, multilingual children need additional attention to their individual linguistic needs and experiences as they develop both their home language(s) and additional languages. Multilingual children’s early language development is a key factor in their success in K-12 systems.

To support early language development, WIDA Early Years offers tools and resources for the ECE community that:

• Highlight what multilingual children can do with language
• Support instructional planning with attention to language
• Offer suggestions for scaffolding language development
• Promote language-focused family engagement

Did You Know?

Families are a great source of information on children’s language use and development.

Helping young multilingual children develop their home language(s) supports their social-emotional, cognitive and linguistic development.