How can we honor the joyful, play-based spirit of early childhood while intentionally supporting language development for all learners—especially our multilinguals? In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how early years educators can become purposeful language nurturers, weaving rich, responsive language experiences into every corner of the classroom.
Together, we’ll unpack what it means to develop a metalanguage mindset—both for ourselves and our students—and how to embed that thinking into meaningful, developmentally-appropriate practices. Through the lens of read-alouds, we’ll examine how to plan with language in mind, amplifying opportunities for children to hear, use, and explore language across their full linguistic repertoires.
You’ll also design open-ended language invitations and provocations that align with emergent interests and the natural rhythms of play. These tools will help you create a nurturing language ecology where all children’s voices are heard, valued, and expanded. Whether you’re new to multilingual education or looking to deepen your approach, this session will leave you with practical strategies, fresh inspiration, and a renewed commitment to honoring the power of language in your early years classrooms.
Participants are encouraged to bring 1-2 of their favorite picture books to the workshop.
- For questions regarding this resource, please contact Tucson Regional Educator Collaborative (TREC).
- Contact Name: Alicia Durbin
- Email Address: trecarizona@arizona.edu