Dual Language Learners in Head Start Programs Head Start programs reflect our nation’s growing cultural diversity. This includes dual language learners (DLLs). The Office of Head Start promotes the full and effective participation of children who are DLLs and their families. This overview describes dual language learners, their home languages, their enrollment in Head Start programs, and the language proficiency of Head Start staff serving them. Dual Language Learners (DLLs): Children who are learning two or more languages at the same time or learning a second language while continuing to develop their first language. (Terms, 45 CFR §1305.2) Head Start program(s): The Head Start program includes Head Start preschool programs, which primarily serve 3-and-4-year-old children, and Early Head Start programs for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. Did you know... Learning more than one language has been proven to be beneficial for DLLs, improving brain development and school performance, creating more job opportunities, and encouraging an overall positive and respectful attitude towards different languages and cultures. [1] Did you know... Approximately, one-third of children in the United States aged 0-5 are dual language learners, consistent with the rate of DLLs enrolled in Head Start programs. [2] [Pie graph showing 7,438,000 children as dual language learners (DLLs) and all other young children outside this group totaling 15,282,000] Dual Language Learners in Head Start Programs Approximately 800,000 children and families are enrolled in Head Start programs. Over 260,000 enrolled children and families are dual language learners. According to the 2023 Program Information Report data, 3.5 out of 10 enrolled children are dual language learners. [Pictograph showing 3.5 out of 10 enrolled children are dual language learners] Dual Language Learner Enrollment Rate [Line graph showing the enrollment rate of dual language learners was 15.5% in 2019, 28.0% in 2021, and 32.5% in 2023] Over the last 4 years, there has been a rise in the enrollment of DLLs in Head Start programs. From 2019 to 2023, DLL enrollment in Head Start programs increased 12.5%. Comparing Dual Language Staff Language Proficiency and Enrollees' Primary Home Languages Over 30% of Head Start staff are proficient in languages other than English. The proportions of multilingual staff largely match the proportions of enrolled children/pregnant people who are DLLs across language families. [Bar Graph showing Language Groups spoken by Enrolled Children/Pregnant People and Head Start Staff, excluding English, based on 2023 PIR data: • 25.81% of staff and 21.35% of enrolled children speak Spanish. • 1.48% of staff and 1.42% of enrolled children speak Middle Eastern or South Asian Languages, which includes languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and others. • 1.17% of staff and 0.98% of enrolled children speak European or Slavic Languages, which includes languages like German, French, Italian, Croatian, Yiddish, Portuguese, Russian, and others. • 1.16% of staff and 0.91% of enrolled children speak East Asian Languages, which includes languages like Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and others. • 0.41% of staff and 0.94% of enrolled children speak African Languages, which include languages like Swahili, Wolof, and others. • 0.35% of staff and 0.65% of enrolled children speak Caribbean Languages, which includes languages like Haitian-Creole as well as patois and dialects. • 0.36% of staff and 0.05% of enrolled children speak Native North American or Alaska Native Languages, which includes languages like Eskimo-Aleut, Haida, Tsimshian, and others. • 0.22% of staff and 0.35% of enrolled children speak Native Central American, South American, and Mexican American Languages, which includes languages like Mixteco, Quichean, and others. • 0.18% of staff and 0.25% of enrolled children speak Pacific Island Languages, which includes languages like Palauan, Fijian, and others. • 0.16% of staff and 0.04% of enrolled children speak American Sign Language. Did you know... Over 35,000 Head Start staff speak two or more languages, resulting in an inclusive environment for DLLs through effective communication in children's native languages, [3] and further contributing to cognitive development, social integration, and academic success. This supports diverse and multilingual communities across Head Start programs. [4] Did you know... The Head Start Program Performance Standards require Head Start programs to use evidence-based teaching practices for English and home language development, even giving guidance to follow when staff do not speak the same language as the child. Sources: 1 National Library of Medicine. The Benefits of Multilingualism to the Personal and Professional Development of Residents of The US. (2018). 2 Park, Maki., Hofstetter, Jacob., Giang, Ivana Tú Nhi. Overlooked but Essential: Language Access in Early Childhood Programs. (October, 2022). 3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start. Program Information Report (PIR) Summary Report - 2022 - National Level. Washington, DC. 4 Bloom, Howard S., Weiland, Christina. Quantifying Variation in Head Start Effects on Young Children’s Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Skills Using Data from the National Head Start Impact Study. (2015).