Strengthening Transitional Kindergarten for Multilingual Learners

California has the highest percentage of Multilingual Learners in the nation, with nearly 60% of children under age five speaking a language other than English at home. As the first year of fully expanded Transitional Kindergarten (TK), it’s imperative to intentionally support Multilingual Learners and their families. This session will uplift and showcase the powerful work taking place across districts, from innovative partnerships with universities and local programs to prepare and support bilingual TK educators, to the expansion of Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs in TK classrooms. It will also spotlight how districts are building welcoming, inclusive environments that honor the diverse languages and cultures of all children. Participants will explore promising practices, strategies for expanding bilingual pathways, and recent efforts to ensure TK is grounded in developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive practices for Multilingual Learners.