Linguistically and Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Education

This course guides students in creating socially oriented, child-centered, cultural arts-based curricula for young children in dual language, multilingual, and culturally responsive early childhood settings. Using the Soy Bilingüe Curriculum as a guide, students will create a professional portfolio documenting their theoretical framework, the strategies, and techniques they have learned, and their experiences working with children. With an emphasis on culture, language, play, and social justice, students will engage with the ten Soy Bilingüe steps for creating linguistically and culturally responsive programs: (1) Building the Learning Community; (2) Forming the Teaching Teams; (3) Developing the Language Plan; (4) Organizing the Classroom Environment; (5) Establishing the Daily Routine; (6) Establishing Development and Learning Objectives for the Children; (7) Assessing and Documenting the Children's Growth and Development; (8) Focusing the Curriculum on the Children's Language, Culture, and Interests; (9) Teaching, Scaffolding, and Engaging the Children; and (10) Reflecting on the Information Gathered about the Children in Your Classroom.