Our society continues to diversify, with an influx of immigrants coming to the U.S. each year. According to the United States Census Bureau, in the period between 2009 and 2013, an estimated 20.7% of the population aged 5 years and older spoke a language other than English at home. This figure is expected to increase over the coming years. In the words of Terry Meier, “children enter preschool or kindergarten in the United States, particularly in urban settings, with a wide variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds.” This presents a unique challenge to educators of young children, who are tasked with instructing an increasingly diverse group of students.
Sources:
- Meier, Terry. “’Why Can’t She Remember That?’: The Importance of Storybook Reading in Multilingual, Multicultural Classrooms.” Reading Teacher 57.3 (2003): 242-252.
- United States Census Bureau. USA QuickFacts. Dec. 2014. Available at: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
© Megan Stewart | LIS 527 - Literacy, Reading and Readers | Fall 2014