Head Start Teachers’ Perceptions of Bilingualism for Preschoolers Without and With Disabilities

Young emergent bilinguals (EBs) without, with, or considered at-risk for disabilities, thrive in environments that encourage using their full linguistic repertoire, including their home language and dominant language. Despite the surplus of evidence on the benefits of bilingualism and home language maintenance, young EBs continue to encounter an education system and teaching force that are not fully prepared to support their needs. For example, many teachers felt unprepared to support the linguistic and learning needs of young EBs, resulting in instructional practices that do not leverage children's bilingual resources. There also continues to be a language hierarchy within classroom contexts reflecting the power of English, reinforcing English dominance. This qualitative study involved 13 current Head Start teachers and six past Head Start teachers, each participating in a semi-structured interview focused on their perceptions of bilingualism. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the responses to highlight how educators define bilingualism, perceive bilingualism for young EBs without, with, or considered at-risk for disabilities, and the extent to which their attitudes contribute to the support and recommendations they provide to families. The findings indicate that most teachers valued bilingualism for young EBs and encouraged families to speak their home language to foster their child's bilingual language development. However, despite their positive attitudes towards bilingualism, many teacher participants held misconceptions of bilingualism, mainly concerning young EBs with or considered at-risk for disabilities. Implications for practice are presented.