Educating young children with diverse languages and cultures By KarenNemeth, London: Routledge. 2023. pp. 174. £39.99 (paperback). ISBN: 9780367535087

Abstract

Karen Nemeth's book, Educating Young Children with Diverse Languages and Cultures, equips early childhood educators to assist and work with young children (ages 0–8) with a variety of languages, cultures, and learning needs. The most crucial step in creating equitable access to early education is being ready for all children. Early childhood educators do not necessarily need to be experts in all areas, but they do need to have the self-assurance to deal with any child. To guarantee that all young children have equitable access to education should be our shared goal in this subject. Throughout this book, readers will find more information on how to accomplish this aim using evidence-based, all-inclusive solutions for addressing experiences, cultures, abilities, and languages. Ten chapters make up this book and they centre around 6 main topics: (1) facilitating remote learning to support learners from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds; (2) the National Association for the Education of Young Children has released two new position statements, Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education and Developmentally Appropriate Practice; (3) a focus on interdisciplinary coordination of learning for both adults and children; (4) the application of proactive Universal Design strategies; (5) an anti-bias focus on ensuring that all children have equitable access to early education and the value of developing a diverse early childhood workforce; and (6) practices that are trauma-informed and asset-based. As a result, this book underlines how important it is for learning to communicate across cultures and languages. It has a layered format with multiple uses. As a practitioner in teaching language to children, I find the subject matter of chapters 2 and 3 to be particularly fascinating. In chapter 2, readers are assisted in understanding language in the context of individual learning and development by descriptions of the diverse experiences and classifications of children who are dual language learners. Readers will receive the most valuable insights into all facets of child development and learning by thoroughly examining the language development of dual language or multilingual learners, which will help them succeed in their work. In addition, the author offers advice on how to start a profession in early childhood education in chapter 3. What can you do to get ready to educate students from varied linguistic and cultural backgrounds? Have you had any practical experience working with kids or adults who speak different languages? Before you start applying for jobs, how could you add that experience to your resume? Anyone who plans to work with young children should take all of these factors into account. With an eye on success and resilience in a sector that is evolving, Chapter 3 successfully responds to these queries and assists readers in getting ready to become early childhood educators. Overall, the book presents fresh viewpoints on preparing early childhood educators to effectively work with and support young children with diverse languages, cultures, and learning needs that will get readers thinking. However, the book could have struck a better balance if it had included chapters from authors on other continents (such as Asia and Africa). They can offer many different viewpoints on the subject. By doing this, the reader may become more engaged and interested in the book. Even so, it is an excellent resource for early childhood educators and researchers who want to enhance their fields.