Bilingual children have been shown to be better communicators, do a better job paying attention, and even become stronger readers—in both languages. Yet most American children who speak a language other than English at home begin to lag behind in school by fourth grade.
Given what is known about the brain science of language acquisition, early support for dual language learners in state preschool programs could turn that trend around. Nearly a quarter of American 3- and 4-year-olds speak a language other than English at home, according to an April report by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), a nonprofit think tank based in New Jersey. But most state preschool programs provide few or no proven supports to help bilingual children flourish, according to NIEER’s recent report.