Preparing California's Early Care and Education Workforce to Teach Young Dual Language Learners

The stage is set for major change in California early childhood education (ECE). The State's requirements for Transitional Kindergarten instruction, teacher training, and professional development could lead to mandated integration of existing, impressive Dual Language Learner (DLL) resources, guidance, and best practices. In addition to more research addressing the early childhood needs of DLLs ages birth through three, what is needed now to support preschool-age DLLs is organized advocacy of a new preparation and training model as proposed in this article for ECE professionals.