By Karen Nemeth, Christina M. Cassano, Karen Christie-Ward, and Lea Ann Christenson
Easing the Transition to Kindergarten
As they tidy up their preschool classroom at the end of the day, Ms. Amy and Ms. Rose discuss how they’re fielding more and more questions from families about kindergarten. Deciding they could do more to support the multilingual children and families in their setting, the teachers decide to create a book of resources outlining what to expect in kindergarten.
The two consult with their instructional coordinator and gather information from their local school district on kindergarten readiness goals, ways to communicate with school personnel, and documentation on families’ rights and responsibilities. They also add pages that answer families’ questions and concerns on topics ranging from homework expectations to birthday celebrations.
Responding to families’ concerns about supporting their children to read in English, Ms. Amy and Ms. Rose create a lending library filled with kindergarten reading books and bilingual picture books. They hope these materials will empower family members to take an active role in advocating for their children’s needs.
Every child deserves a great start in kindergarten. While all kindergarten-bound children and families must navigate new settings and expectations, multilingual learners and their families can encounter additional challenges in the preschool-to-kindergarten transition. Multilingual families may be faced with important decisions about their child’s placement and language of instruction along with communication barriers and cultural differences. Well-informed early childhood educators in both preschool and kindergarten can do much to support children and families through this transition.
In our work with preschools, public schools, and Head Start programs, we (the authors) have observed a variety of challenges that impact multilingual children’s comfort, confidence, learning, and success (see “Common Challenges for Multilingual Families” below). We also have gained a deep understanding of the needs of multilingual children and families during the transition to kindergarten and the strategies that truly make a difference. As a preschool educator, director, or administrator, you can embed linguistically responsive approaches into your setting that not only help multilingual learners enter kindergarten with confidence, but that also support the full inclusion of all children (a key part of advancing equity). This includes assisting families in understanding the assessments and recommendations they receive from a school or school district.
Common Challenges for Multilingual Families
As a group of educators with varied experiences, we have worked in preschools, public schools, teacher preparation programs, Head Start programs, and government agencies. We also have worked with a range of professional organizations involved in early childhood education and bilingual education. Following are some of the challenges we have observed multilingual families confronting as their children move from preschool to kindergarten.
A family who was very involved in their child’s Head Start program was surprised by the lack of opportunities to participate in activities and decision making at their new school.
Several preschool families heard from a neighbor who believed that children were less successful when placed in bilingual education kindergarten classes. Worried about their children’s future, they didn’t know where to go for advice or more information.
Families whose children did well in a predominantly English-speaking preschool were surprised when their children were placed in a bilingual education kindergarten class.
A grandparent who gained custody of their grandchild soon after moving to the United States missed a number of important notices because they were overwhelmed by the school’s digital engagement platform.
A mother threw away kindergarten notices in her child’s backpack because she couldn’t read them.
A family received an official letter from the school district that was written in a formal style they found hard to understand. They didn’t realize it required them to respond about their wishes for their child’s kindergarten language placement.
Kindergarten teachers at one school discovered that families had very different experiences and expectations about their roles in early childhood education based on their experiences in their home countries.
Strategies to Prepare Multilingual Children for Kindergarten
The transition to kindergarten begins early and should be embedded well before the last day of preschool (see “Building Bridges Toward Success: Strategies for Seamless Kindergarten Transitions” by Lori L. Blake and colleagues in this issue). By considering children’s languages and cultures during this process, you enrich each child’s learning journey. Following, we draw on our experiences to outline ways to prepare and support multilingual children and their families for the preschool-to-kindergarten move.
Become Familiar with Kindergarten Content
Preschool educators, directors, and administrators need to be aware of what children will be expected to know once they begin kindergarten. Many public school districts and private kindergarten programs publish this information on their websites. Make a plan to share it with families, offering explanations and translating the information into their home languages. Some teachers do this in a handout, an email, or during conversations with family members.
It’s also helpful to build two-way relationships in which preschool and elementary teachers and administrators share information. This allows you to ask kindergarten teachers about expectations for children when they start the new year and to share about the goals and content of the preschool curriculum.
For example, after learning that local kindergarten teachers want to use comparison words in several lessons during September, preschool teachers could add more stories and activities highlighting words like more/less, fast/slow, or bigger/smaller in multiple languages. As kindergarten teachers learn more about the developmentally appropriate goals of the preschool curriculum, they can adjust their expectations for the first months of school to more closely match the skills and content knowledge children will likely have.
While we do not advise preschool teachers to mimic kindergarten classrooms, you can use the knowledge you gain about local kindergarten programs to partner with families and introduce content to multilingual children in responsive ways. This could include
Reading books, engaging with illustrations, and teaching the alphabet and sounds in a child’s home language. This helps them learn how print works, so they can apply this knowledge to learning sounds and words in English. It also supports comprehension and connections between languages. Monolingual educators can use technologies like Google Translate and Head Start’s Ready DLL mobile app to help translate words. You can also find online videos of stories being read aloud in multiple languages.
Supporting children with counting, sorting, and comparing in their home languages, and incorporating math into daily routines, play, and activities. For example, start a movement pattern, saying “clap-stomp-clap-stomp,” then repeat it in children’s home languages (such as “bater palmas, bater os péz” in Portuguese). Children can identify and continue the pattern, then create their own patterns. When children fully comprehend math concepts, they can more easily transfer this knowledge to English.
Prepare Children for Next Year’s Routines and Expectations
In addition to the skills and concepts children may need to know for kindergarten, they should also be prepared for changes in curricula, daily routines, and expected behaviors. Some of these (going to the cafeteria for lunch; sitting at a desk for part of the day) apply to all children. Others are specific to the experiences of multilingual learners: Their new school may have educators who will teach in the child’s home language, in English, in both languages, or even in a different language. They may have in-class language supports or pull-out sessions with an English as a second language specialist.
Multilingual children and their families may need additional assistance to fully understand new routines and expectations. Preschool administrators can collaborate with receiving schools to provide information to children and families. Teachers can help prepare children by role-playing, adding new elements to the dramatic play area, or creating class books with images of the new school and stories about what kindergarten will be like.
Partner with Families
Families face important decisions about kindergarten while their children are still in preschool. This is compounded for multilingual families, who need to know
What supports will be provided to children who qualify for English language development (ELD) services?
What supports will be provided to multilingual learners whose English proficiency is determined to be high enough that the school does not recommend ELD services?
What languages will be available in bilingual or multilingual formats?
Will multilingual kindergartners use the same curriculum as children in English-only classes?
The more you know about kindergarten language policies and services, the more helpful you can be in easing the transition. For example, school districts in every state use some form of the Home Language Survey prior to enrollment. This survey identifies children who need further language assessment to inform placement decisions for those who speak languages other than English. Families may need your guidance and help to translate these forms and/or to complete them accurately.
Schools may also use a kindergarten entry assessment and other information to recommend specific ELD services. These data are often used to determine if supports are needed because a child is learning another language or if there is an underlying delay or disability that requires an Individualized Education Program. Encourage families who are concerned about potential delays or disabilities to contact the principal’s office at their local elementary school to inquire about a free special education evaluation. The law requires public schools to meet with a family within 60 school days and to complete an evaluation within an additional 45 school days. Families who plan to send their children to private schools can still contact the local public school to request an evaluation.
English Language Development (ELD) Services
ELD is the broad term covering a range of approaches to teaching children who need support for reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in English along with the academic vocabulary necessary for school. ELD services may take the form of a bilingual education class, where instruction is provided in two languages; a standalone English as a Second Language (ESL) class, taught by an ESL-certified teacher; or a scenario in which the ESL teacher works occasionally within the class with one multilingual child or a small group of multilingual children. This can also include taking a child to another location for ESL activities. In some schools, curriculum enhancements may be provided by classroom teachers who have been trained in specific, research-based approaches that address the needs of multiple learners.
After a school district completes its surveys and assessments, it will send a letter asking families to approve their children’s recommended placements or services. This can be overwhelming for families, and they may benefit from your help. It’s important that you work with colleagues to gather accurate information about placement decisions and services at all the schools children may attend. You should also learn about state, district, and individual schools’ policies so that you’re prepared to answer families’ questions.
In addition, consider
Creating a peer support group for multilingual families, so they can guide each other and share information during the kindergarten transition period and beyond
Providing information on how families can ask for translation or interpretation services once their children begin kindergarten and who they can call when they have questions
Designating someone from the preschool program to be available to answer families’ questions over the summer
Access Community Resources
Some public schools offer activities or resources for incoming kindergartners. These may include programs for general enrichment or specialized language supports. Local libraries, universities, and nature centers may also host summer learning and exploration activities. These opportunities keep children learning and moving forward over the summer break. Encourage families to explore these opportunities.
Also consider participating in cross-discipline meetings hosted by local educators or organizations. We have attended meetings where representatives from Head Start, preschools, early intervention, bilingual education, and special education services talk about their work and provide information on supports available for multilingual learners and their families. As in the opening vignette, these can be compiled into a book of resources and shared with families.
Reflecting on Your Practice
As an early childhood professional, your role is to provide an emotionally safe environment in which all children work to achieve their academic, social, and emotional goals. This includes guiding multilingual learners and their families as they move from preschool to kindergarten.
To begin this work, ask yourself
What actions can I take to strengthen my program’s relationship with local kindergartens? What support do I need to strengthen that relationship?
Where can I find information about state and local resources and procedures for incoming kindergartners who are multilingual learners?
How can I learn more about what multilingual families understand about and need for the move to kindergarten?
What clarifications do I need to offer?
What other steps can I take to help ensure that the transition to kindergarten is positive for the multilingual children and families in my setting?
Further Readings
The following resources can help educators support multilingual learners in the move to kindergarten.
“Transition to Kindergarten for Preschoolers with Multilingual Abilities: Do Parents and Professionals See Eye to Eye?” by Marisa Macy and colleagues. The Dialog: A Journal for Inclusive Early Childhood Professionals, 2025. This study identifies differences between school district personnel and families when they discussed multilingual children’s readiness for kindergarten.
“Promoting Language Learning Through Dual Language and Non-English Books,” by Christopher J. Wagner and colleagues. Young Children, Spring 2023. This article describes a variety of ways educators can include dual-language and non-English books in their settings and instruction.
“Are We Ready? Educators Collaborating Around Language-Focused PreK–3 Transitions,” by WIDA. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2023. This webcast offers specific strategies teachers can use to support multilingual children in the transition to kindergarten. It is based on the work WIDA is doing with state standards and practices.
“Transition to Kindergarten: Supporting Children Who Are Dual Language Learners (DLLs),” by the Office of Head Start. September 2023. This guide informs teachers and program leaders about what they must consider when preparing multilingual children and their families for the transition to kindergarten.
“Assessing the Kindergarten Readiness of Dual Language Learners,” by Janie Tankard Carnock. April 2018. This blog post reports on state policies about kindergarten entry assessments and their implications for children who are multilingual learners.
Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures, a consensus report by the National Academies Press. 2017. This is a comprehensive compilation of research on teaching children who are multilingual learners.
Videos to support learning at home in several languages can be found at staging.readyrosie.com and headstart.gov/family-engagement/article/family-engagement-language-literacy-webinar-series.
About the Authors
Karen Nemeth, EdM, has worked with schools, national organizations, and state and federal government initiatives. She has published many books and articles on teaching young multilingual children.
Christina M. Cassano, EdD, is a professor of childhood education and care at Salem State University as well as an early childhood researcher, author, and consultant.
Karen Christie-Ward is a dedicated early childhood professional in New York City, specializing in professional development and coaching.
Lea Ann Christenson, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education at Towson University in Maryland. She is a former kindergarten teacher, ESOL teacher, and assistant principal.
Photographs: courtesy of the authors. Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC.org/resources/permissions.
NAEYC Accreditation
This article supports the following NAEYC Early Learning Programs standards and topics:
Standard 2: Families and Community
Engaging in Reciprocal Partnerships with Families and Fostering Community Connections
Standard 3: Curriculum
Planning and Implementing an Engaging Curriculum to Meet Meaningful Goals