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
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
Spring 2026 Educating Young Children 33