The Virtual Lab School now offers an additional course in our Focused Topics track: Supporting Language Diversity: Direct Care. This three-lesson course explains the benefits that multi-language settings bring to children’s development and trajectory. It provides strategies on supporting dual language learners (children who are bilingual, or are beginning to learn English) as well as monolingual children who speak only English. Whether or not you know another language, Supporting Language Diversity presents a solid framework from which caregivers and teachers can reinforce language diversity through environments and experiences in their learning spaces, and also engage the language-rich expertise of families, coworkers, and the wider community.

The Supporting Language Diversity: Coaching Focused Topics Course, which provides similar information, but tailored to the roles and responsibilities of trainers, coaches, and administrators, will be released soon.