Karen Nemeth, Christina M. Cassano, Karen Christie-Ward, and Lea Ann Christenson

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.

28 Educating Young Children

Spring 2026