This qualitative study explores intersections between U.S. language policies (federal and state-level) and instructional practice in early childhood settings for multilingual learners (MLs). We draw on the theoretical framework of culturally sustaining pedagogy to engage in a critical content analysis of U.S. federal and state-level policy from three states. In the cross-analysis of policy and pedagogy, we also examine data from ML teachers’ instructional artifacts, open-ended surveys, and semi-structured interviews. The findings provide insight into how educators draw on culturally sustaining and asset-based approaches to teaching MLs. Additionally, findings demonstrate how ML teachers negotiate policies that prioritize English language and academic achievement and those focused on teaching discrete language skills (i.e., phonological awareness and phonics) by continually centering children’s linguistic and cultural repertoires. Participants in this study advocated for linguistic pluralism in their instruction and as leaders in their schools and communities. The study further illustrates how policies mandate specific aspects of instruction and leave linguistically inclusive pedagogies to individual educators. This tension can be beneficial for educators’ freedom in interpreting and navigating the policy in their classroom but can also create disparities for young learners and their literacy opportunities. The significance implies a need for revisiting early childhood ML teachers’ role in creating policy that fosters linguistic and cultural inclusion in language and literacy teaching.

中文翻译：

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幼儿教学中的教师专业知识：与多语言学习者对语言政策和文化维持教学法的交叉分析


这项定性研究探讨了美国语言政策（联邦和州一级）与幼儿教育环境中多语言学习者 (ML) 的教学实践之间的交叉点。我们利用文化维持教育学的理论框架，对三个州的美国联邦和州级政策进行批判性内容分析。在政策和教学法的交叉分析中，我们还检查了来自机器学习教师的教学制品、开放式调查和半结构化访谈的数据。研究结果让我们深入了解教育工作者如何利用文化维持和基于资产的方法来教授机器学习。此外，调查结果还展示了机器学习教师如何协商优先考虑英语语言和学业成绩的政策，以及通过不断以儿童的语言和文化技能为中心来重点教授离散语言技能（即语音意识和语音）的政策。这项研究的参与者主张在教学中以及作为学校和社区的领导者时采用语言多元化。该研究进一步说明了政策如何规定教学的具体方面，并将语言包容性教学法留给个体教育者。这种紧张关系可能有利于教育工作者在课堂上自由解释和指导政策，但也可能给年轻学习者及其识字机会造成差异。这一意义意味着需要重新审视幼儿机器学习教师在制定促进语言和识字教学中语言和文化包容性的政策中的作用。