The fifth foundational principle for meeting ALL children’s needs is Emergent Multilingual Support which involves maximizing multilingual learners’ language capital. If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit this original blog post https://blogs.iu.edu/earlyliteracy/2025/04/25/all-really-does-mean-all/ which shared the 6 evidence-based foundational principles for supporting all children to be successful in the classroom.
As our nation, and specifically our early childhood environments, become more linguistically diverse, early educators have a critical role in supporting multilingual learners (MLLs) to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Recent research confirms the importance of engaging in linguistically inclusive practices in early education settings to foster learning opportunities that meet everyone’s needs. Let’s take a closer look at some research-based strategies for supporting emergent multilingual children. 
One key strategy is integrating children’s home languages into the early education environment. Studies show that maintaining and developing children’s first languages alongside English enhances cognitive flexibility and supports stronger literacy outcomes in both languages (Espinosa, 2021). You can support home languages by labeling objects in multiple languages, learning key words and phrases in children’s home languages, and involving children’s families to build on what children already know.
Another evidence-based approach is scaffolding language support. Use visuals, gestures, sentence frames, and repeated read-alouds to help Multi-Lingual learners (MLLs) access content and build vocabulary (Castro, 2022). Explicitly teach key vocabulary while creating opportunities for children to hear, practice, and apply new words in meaningful contexts.
Interactive and play-based learning also supports multilingual learners. Research has found that guided play and peer interactions promote
language development (Purtel, 2023). Providing opportunities for group work, role-playing, and language games encourages children to use both expressive and receptive language in low-pressure but engaging ways.
Finally, engaging children’s families is essential to supporting emergent multilingual learners. Building strong relationships with families helps early education professionals understand children’s cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Research sows that home-school partnerships that include translation services, bilingual communication, and culturally relevant events help foster trust and shared learning goals (García & Orellana, 2024).
Providing effective emergent multilingual support begins with adopting the perspective that being an emergent multilingual is an asset and NOT a deficient and requires incorporating strategies in early education settings that celebrate home languages, connect to home languages, and support children’s home languages and their English language development. Implementing these practices can create nurturing environments where all young children, regardless of language background, can thrive. For more information, check out this guide for supporting children that are learning English as a new language: https://www.edc.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Supporting-Emergent-Bilingual-Children_English.pdf
Lynne Hall is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability & Community’s Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction and inclusive preschool classroom practices.
You can email Lynne at hallma@iu.edu
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