Research suggests that a high-quality classroom environment can help close the achievement gap. That is, children who enter school less ready to learn are those that benefit the most from supportive classroom environments.  A supportive environment is: Well-organized: orderly, planned and safe.Dependable: a stable “home base” for children who need it.Flexible: able to adjust to meet the needs of different children.

For parents raising bilingual children, language mixing is often seen as a negative consequence of learning two languages simultaneously. Unfortunately, many families are caught up in the myths of bilingualism, believing that children become confused learning multiple languages. Consequently, it sometimes leads to them dropping a language. Ask any parent with children learning multiple languages. Most will say they have...

Lately, knowing two languages makes it easier to acquire a third. Learning a new language is a multi-stage, often multi-year process: listening to new sounds, reading new word structures, and speaking in different patterns or inflections. But the chances of adopting a third language - even unintentionally - may be better if you are exposed to different languages.

Bilingualism is beneficial to the brain at all stages, from increased concentration periods and increased ability to work to a greater risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in old age. To provide some insights on how we can best help our children learn a second language at home, a few key practices that can help parents raise a bilingual family.

You've probably run across the prefix poly before—it comes from Greek and means many or multi. But what about glot? That part of the word comes from the Greek term glōtta, meaning language or tongue. (Glōtta is also the source of glottis, the word for the space between the vocal cords.) Polyglot itself entered English in the 17th century, both as an adjective and as a noun meaning "one who can...

Better communication. Multilingual children have mastered the art of mutual understanding and listening, which makes them better communicators. It's more of a benefit to grow up in a multilingual environment where you have to listen to and understand the point of view of others. 

Language learning is an essential skill that children should develop early on in life. As a parent or caregiver, creating the best language learning environment for young children can help them acquire language skills more effectively. Here are some tips on how to create the best language learning environment for young children. 1. Start early Language learning should start early when the child's brain is still developing rapidly. Babies are...

Storytelling is a great family activity that encourages language development and introduces new words. Create stories with your child that include characters, conflicts, and happy endings. Sit down to look at family photos, talk about who's in the picture, what they were doing and where they were. Ask your child to retell stories and set aside time to read regularly. You can even describe the day with your child as it unfolds, like, "Now we're...

Bilingual learners with disabilities are capable of understanding and comprehending two languages. As a matter of fact, it was concluded, that Spanish literacy does not interfere with English learning and “no studies reviewed indicated that native language instruction hindered literacy development”. Bilingual education advantages for students with and without disabilities promote (a) metalinguistic awareness, (b) cognition, (c) social...

The rejection of a second language is often related to the level of acceptance of this language in society. Mastery of a second language such as English generates enthusiasm and this leads to greater motivation for the child. Languages with less appeal have the opposite effect generating rejection in society since the language is not well understood.

Raising a bilingual child takes dedication, consistency, and a lot of creativity. We’ve broken it down to 10 tips on what you can do at home to help support your little one’s bilingual education. It feels like a daunting task but start with one strategy and slowly add others to your daily activities.  Remember: It is NEVER too early or too late to start teaching our children about our language and culture! Just like it is never...

It's important to remember that there is no "right" strategy that every family should follow. After all, each family must work with its own unique set of circumstances and what’s best for one family might not be best for another. That said, it should also be stressed, upfront, that the odds of success will most likely be higher in proportion to the amount of input in the minority language that the child receives on a regular basis.