Interview with Director

When a family enrolls in our program in our welcoming packet, we offer them a home language survey After the family fills it out, we give that information to the teachers We discuss what tools that we can use. We try to incorporate that into our environment. As you enter to our program you can see that we have posters in many different languages We try to individualize the child´s classroom, have their language labeled around the environment. It is very important to remember that that child is coming into your environment to do more than just language skills. They have to feel included, they have to feel comfortable, they have to really learn the routine. they need to ask questions, in a way that they feel that they can get their needs met. In time, that will come. We have one little boy that he uses English here at the center every day but then when he sees his mom arrive, he automatically changes his language over to her home language. And this child is about one and a half years old, so it is an amazing process It is important to acknowledge their name in a respectful manner, We want to say hello using their name, pronouncing it correctly knowing that that name is respected and used appropriately in the classroom just like every other child. It is great when you can say, you know, use a child´s name and you can say good morning in their home language. And you can say good-bye in their home language. It is just a way that can really bond that communication and that relationship.