Abstract
Head Start educators in two large cities in California were surveyed about their views on bilingualism, dual language development, and bilingual education. The survey results indicated that overall, respondents viewed bilingualism favorably. However, participants' responses to questions related to dual language development and bilingual education were more variable. Head Start teachers who spoke more than one language, were born outside of the United States, and reported an ethnicity other than white, demonstrated more favorable views of bilingual education. Head Start performance standards require teachers to support the development of children's home language, bilingualism and biliteracy. The results of this study highlight the connections between beliefs about bilingualism and the demographic characteristics of Head Start teachers.
Topics
Early Childhood Education
Bilingualism
Bilingual Education