Identifies some common obstacles to adequate early childhood and family literacy education services for language minority communities and describes effective instructional models that meet the cultural needs of the target community. Accessible, adequate, and culturally appropriate programs conducted by qualified personnel are essential components of initiatives that address the needs of language minority families. Successful early childhood and family literacy education initiatives in Illinois and across the United States include programs that: (1) use parent-tutor mentors to provide educational enrichment for children and support parents as their children’s first teachers; (2) offer a transitional bilingual education program as well as a dual language preschool program; (3) provide literacy training and support for limited English-proficient parents so that they can exert a positive influence on their children’s academic achievement; (4) offer community-based, intensive parent education on topicsincluding child growth and development, health, nutrition, and literacy; and (5) use children’s native language to improve early reading achievement. Through careful planning and sharing of resources, early childhood and family literacy education programs can help address the specific needs of language minorities while also supporting multicultural learning in the broader community.
