This article examines young children's perceptions and ideas about their emergent bilingualism drawing on data from an ethnographic case study of the language development of a Head Start classroom. The purpose of this study was to examine the language practices of 4-year-olds in a bilingual (Spanish/English) classroom. The findings discussed in…

There is little research on the experiences of new bilingual education teachers in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study analyzes the written reflections of 20 first-year Spanish/English bilingual teachers in New York City, in which they shared their experiences and perspectives as bilingual educators during emergency…

New York City offers an example of the national trend to expand dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs, yet only a small proportion of multilingual learners are enrolled in these programs in city schools. Our examination of new DLBE programs in three city schools builds on research about the "gentrification" of DLBE.…

This article describes a case study of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) that challenges the model's traditional mold while offering important insights into its utility for communities of less commonly taught languages. We begin with an outline of the expansion of DLBE in New York City, part of a broader national trend. We then explore a…

The future success of today's students and our nation depends on how well prepared our students are to contribute to the globalized world of the 21st century. The population of English Language Learners (ELLs) is exploding in the United States. If students are not given the appropriate language scaffolds to learn English, ELLs will struggle…

Dual Language (DL), a bilingual program has expanded at a rapid rate in New York City. This qualitative study explores choice in three public schools (n = 42) with strand Spanish DL programs to determine the role it plays in middle- and higher-income families' decision making. Factors such as location, pedagogical style, environment, and peer…

For decades, educational research has focused on centering the experiences of children of color. From this research arose culturally relevant pedagogies (CRPs) and culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSPs). However, as countless teachers focus on developing more inclusive classroom practices, the cultural needs of parents continue to be ignored. One…

This study offers a review of existing research on translanguaging, inclusion, and computational literacies. It assesses existing school statistics and a student opinion survey released by the New York City Department of Education in Spring 2019 to investigate the attitudes and experiences of students at a public secondary school in the South…

St. Joseph's School for the Deaf in the Bronx, N.Y., has been undergoing significant changes in our approach and our curriculum, and including parents has been an informative and critical part of the process. For decades, we employed a Total Communication approach to educating our students. However, just over two years ago, the administration…

Sonia Nieto wrote this essay in response to the topic "Even Laureates Were Beginners Once: Lessons Learned Along the Way," which was the title of the Laureate Panel she moderated at the Kappa Delta Pi Convocation in October 2017.

In the last 20 years dual language education programs have increased in number and expanded in range. Whereas once they were predominantly focused at the elementary level, they now span from pre-K through to high school. This book examines the key attributes of successful dual language programs, as well as the challenges and opportunities involved…

In "Brooklyn Dreams," Sonia Nieto--one of the leading authors and teachers in the field of multicultural education--looks back on her formative experiences as a student, activist, and educator, and shows how they reflect and illuminate the themes of her life's work. Nieto offers a poignant account of her childhood and the complexities of…

Drawing on the concept of transnational funds of knowledge, this article examines how a Cantonese-English emergent bilingual engaged in an after-school literacy program that centered on Latinx experiences and Spanish-language resources. Through analysis of classroom observations, informal conversations with the focal student (Erica) and her peers,…

The challenges for immigrants in the US and Canada include the difficulties of making a living while raising their children. Due to the high cost of living and childcare in cities, along with the realities of low paying jobs and long working hours among many working-class immigrants, growing numbers of families send their infant children to their…

In this article I discuss findings of a qualitative study that explores the insights of a group of teachers about implementation of the New York State Education Department (NYSED) Bilingual Common Core Progressions (BCCP). Moreover, I explain teachers' suggestions on best pedagogical practices that could be used in the instruction of multilingual…