Project Description:
Nuestra Familia (“Our Familyâ€) is a training project for child care workers who serve preschool children whose primary language is Spanish. The goal of Nuestra Familia is to assist child care providers and early childhood educators to learn strategies to support the second language learner in an early childhood setting. This project is funded by the Department of Human Services, Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE). It is administrated by Partners for Inclusive Communities, a program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics.
An advisory committee (El Concilio) comprised of persons who have varied expertise in Hispanic language and culture, early childhood education, and training guided the project. The roles of El Concilio were to provide overall direction for the program, assist with review and revision of training materials, help identify training sites and trainers, and monitor the effectiveness of the training sessions in meeting the goal of the project.
Two training modules were developed and piloted in multiple sites in Arkansas with large Hispanic populations. The sessions were tarteted to child care workers and early childhood educators. The modules are:
Module 1: “Cultural Diversity – Early Child Care Providers
working with Latin American Families†covers recognition and acceptance of cultural and linguistic diversity.
Module 2: “Second Language Development and Assessment in Early Childhood,†covers the language and second language acquisition process for young children, how to assess children for language difference vs. language delay, and strategies for working with families to reinforce classroom activities.
Each module lasts approximately seven hours. The modules were piloted in Little Rock (November 2 and December 14), Ft. Smith (June 1 and June 15, 2002), Little Rock (August 13 – 14), and Monticello (February 12 - 13, 2003). Revisions were made to the modules following each session and will soon be ready for statewide distribution.
An independent evaluation of the training and materials is being conducted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to document the effectiveness of the materials in achieving the project goals.
Although the project officially ended December 31, 2002, another proposal titled "Welcome the Children" has recently been funded to disseminate the training materials statewide through a community based approach. Welcome the Children will begin July 1, 2003.
Keyword(s):
Hispanic; Latin American; language delay: cultural diversity; training
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Technical Assistance and/or Training, Developing & Disseminating Information
Area of Emphasis
Quality Assurance, Education & Early Intervention, Child Care-Related Activities
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County, Mulit-County
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
