FAQs for finding bilingual daycares near you
What is bilingual daycare?
Bilingual daycare is a specialized daycare approach that introduces young children to two languages while they are still in a formative stage of learning. It features activities, including reading and storytelling, designed to provide bilingual instruction and instill bilingual fluency. Bilingual daycare is based on the belief that it’s easier for children to learn two languages if they are exposed to both during their early years, and this style of education can also lead to better academic performance as they age. Furthermore, bilingual daycare fosters cultural awareness among its participants, provides advantages for bilingual adults in their future careers, and can even lead to improved problem-solving skills due to enhanced cognitive flexibility.
How do I know if my child is ready for bilingual daycare?
When deciding if bilingual daycare is right for your little one, the most important factor to consider is whether they are developmentally ready. Monitor your child's emotional and social development as bilingual daycare requires the ability to interact with multiple people in a different language. Other aspects to consider include their cognitive and physical development. Finally, make sure your children have access to additional support at home or otherwise to practice their new language skills.
What types of activities will my child do in bilingual daycare?
At bilingual daycare, children have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities that will both entertain and educate them. From music to math, bilingual daycare provides child-friendly activities designed to develop a child's linguistic, physical, cognitive and social emotional skills. Through bilingual stories and songs, interactive play and expressive arts, bilingual daycare helps children develop their bilingual language abilities while building stronger peer relationships. By engaging in these creative bilingual activities, children experience learning with joy and have fun while mastering both spoken and written language.
How will my child be assessed in bilingual daycare?
The bilingual daycare center your child attends employs developmentally-appropriate assessment tools to monitor your child's language, literacy and social skills. In addition to observing your child during bilingual play groups and bilingual learning activities, the experienced bilingual staff at the daycare center also administer assessments, such as questionnaires for reviewing social and emotional skills or screening tests for bilingual language proficiency. This allows them to evaluate your child's bilingual abilities, track their progress throughout their time in bilingual daycare, and surface any challenges that need to be addressed. As parents and caregivers, you will have regular opportunities to meet with the bilingual staff to discuss updates and review progress reports regarding your child's bilingual assessment results.
What are the expectations for parents in bilingual daycare?
In bilingual daycare, parents have the important responsibility of helping their children develop bilingual fluency. Parents are expected to extend bilingual learning opportunities at home by communicating in both languages and immersing their child in activities that expose them to both languages. By providing bilingual reading materials and books, as well as bilingual DVDs and CDs, parents can supplement the bilingual training of the daycare environment. Furthermore, regularly attending bilingual daycare events and engaging in conversations with bilingual educators are also important expectations for parents. Ultimately, when it comes to bilingual daycare, the success of a bilingual learning journey is often up to the commitment and dedication of parents.