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Top Takeaways is a series of recaps from important conversations, town halls, webinars and virtual events about early learning.

On June 6, and Early Learning Nation magazine teamed for a webinar, Following the Science: Bilingualism as an Asset Supporting Early Brain Development. Moderated by journalist Leigh Giangreco, the conversation generated enthusiastic comments in the chat and mobilized participants to work toward change in their communities. 鈥淲e need better policies and more leadership,鈥� said Robert Stechuk, director of Early Childhood Education Programs at .

Here are our takeaways:

1. Bi- and multilingualism are the norm. Most people around the world speak more than one language, said Viorica Marian, professor at Northwestern University鈥檚 School of Communication and author of . The United States has among the greatest share of monolingual people, and many mistakenly assume that English is our official language, but the percentage of bilingual speakers is rapidly growing. Upper middle class families understand the power of bilingualism, she noted, but in low-income immigrant families, children are often pressured to stick with English.

Claude Goldenberg, professor emeritus at Stanford University, who was born in Argentina and grew up bilingual, said, 鈥淭here鈥檚 an overlooked American tradition of bilingual education,鈥� which various cultural moments 鈥� for example, anti-German sentiment during World War I 鈥� have suppressed over the years. He described bilingualism as 鈥渁n intellectual and cultural resource and tradition we鈥檙e not taking full advantage of.鈥�

2. Language is good for the brain. When it comes to young minds, Marian said, 鈥淭he richer the input the better.鈥� She referred to language acquisition as a way of 鈥渂uilding other roads to reach your destination.鈥� The early years are when these neural pathways are the most agile. Furthermore, bilingualism has been shown to postpone dementia and cognitive decline in seniors.

Martha Martinez, senior director of Research and Evaluation, , asserted that 鈥渞eading is an inherently cultural activity.鈥� In other words, denying or restricting children鈥檚 access to their cultural heritage impedes early literacy. Knowing more than one language increases awareness of language components and the way language works.

SEAL, a research-based English learner and bilingual education model, has been working with educators and school leaders from more than 100 elementary schools and 130 preschool classrooms in California for 12 years. While schools in the state are required to provide access, services and grade-level content for multilanguage learners, this often isn鈥檛 the case.

3. Discrimination is rampant. According to the , 20% of Latino children encountered bullying or shaming for speaking Spanish at school within the last year. Speaking with an accent or displaying other signs of coming from another culture can subject children and families to negative stereotyping and to what George W. Bush called 鈥渢he soft bigotry of low expectations.鈥�

Discrimination is passed down from generation to generation, and parents who have been subject to it may want to protect their children by discouraging their home language, but when we, as a society, confront racism and bigotry, we can normalize bilingualism and recognize it for the asset that it is.

4. Misinformation persists. Stechuk summarized the report . Despite decades of science showing that infants and toddlers can distinguish among two or more languages, so-called experts continue to tell parents otherwise. Too many teachers, pediatricians and speech therapists continue to embrace the outdated and harmful myth that bilingualism interferes with literacy. 鈥淒on鈥檛 bring in Spanish now,鈥� one mother was told after her child鈥檚 cochlear implants were removed. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to confuse him.鈥�

In too many circles, the cultural skill known as continues to be regarded as evidence of disability. 鈥淭eachers get caught in the battle,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淭hey need more support and policies that recognize complexity and diversity.鈥�

5. Educator training is part of the solution. According to Stechuk, postsecondary curricula for teachers often lack coursework about dual language development or cultural responsiveness. Martinez urged colleges to tell educators in training: 鈥�Nurture their genius, don鈥檛 squash it.鈥� School administrators, Goldenberg said, need to build respectful community relationships. 鈥淲hat do good teachers do?鈥� he asked. 鈥淭hey create a sense of belonging. They create the opportunity for learning, starting every morning. Otherwise you lose the whole day鈥�

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Bilingualism Resources

• • (UnidosUS)
  • (National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine)
  • (The Century Foundation)
  • (The Century Foundation)
  • (IlluminatEd)
  • (IlluminatEd)
  • (American Federation of Teachers)

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.