Forging New Paths by Building on Biographies: Fostering Early Childhood Teacher Readiness for Bi/Multilingual Learners

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:45 pm - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Language, Multilingualism, and Linguistic Equity

Abstract

Although many teachers agree with the overarching tenets of culturally responsive/sustaining pedagogy, they struggle to apply it in their classrooms. Herrera (2010, 2016, 2022) proposed Biography-Driven Instruction (BDI), an instructional framework that supports educators to make the curriculum accessible, relevant, and rigorous for all learners. Building upon the sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and academic dimensions of the child’s biography throughout the lesson is key to effective learning and language development. Using semi-structured interviews, videos of classroom instruction, and student artifacts, this qualitative case study explored the espoused and practical readiness of teachers to accommodate the assets and needs of bi/multilingual children. Findings revealed four themes in teachers’ perceptions of BDI practices, processes, and outcomes in the early childhood classroom.

Authors

• Melissa Ann Holmes, Kansas State University

• Socorro Herrera, Kansas State University