Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Home Language

    Posted 05-21-2019 09:08 AM
    I am so encouraged to read this month's Young Children highlighting Bilingual and multilingual classroom. I hope we have more of the same. One of the requirements (at least when I was a validator for the accreditation process) was home language and noticed many places I visited did token support to this criteria. I'm retied now but where I worked Spanish, Haitian Creyole, Cape Verdean, and other languages were spoken as the primary language at home. I was a little disappointed that Young Children did not highlight that this is the United Nations Year of Indigenous Languages. So many of our indigenous peoples in the US and Canada are struggling to maintain or reclaim their languages. In Cape Cod, Massachusetts the Wampanog tribe has set up a Montessori language preschool for Wopanaak Language  which children learn their language and culture.
    Wopanaak was lost for two generations but tribal members have been reclaiming it. We should all learn more as teachers home languages and give support to them. The articles in Young Children in May give us a start. Love to here of others ex

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    Craig Simpson
    Dorchester MA
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  • 2.  RE: Home Language

    Posted 05-21-2019 07:43 PM
    I had no idea that it was the United Nations Year of Indigenous Languages. It is wonderful that Indigenous people are learning about their culture and language through quality early childhood education in Cape Cod. 

    I have supported St. Joseph's Indian School in South Dakota for many years and understand how poverty, violence, and crime in their communities have attributed to a lack of education for children of all ages. It upsets me greatly that our First Peoples have had to deal with such a plight for so long. They are just as deserving as any nationality or ethnic group to " feel like they belong and are important" in our melting pot of the US and Canada. 

    I recently heard that a tribe in Cats Lake, Canada was dealing with a severe outbreak of black mold in their homes. The Canadian government is now spending millions of dollars to remove the mold. It broke my heart to see the appalling conditions that Native Peoples of the US and Canada live in. Many have no running water or electricity in their homes and their diet consists mainly of highly processed foods given to them by the government. These once proud people have become dependent on their governments for support, health care, and basic needs.

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    Jennifer United States
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  • 3.  RE: Home Language

    Posted 05-22-2019 09:41 AM
    Thank you to Jennifer Hatcher to replying to my post on Home Language. It is these experiences I am eager to hear about in discussing Home Language. Destruction of a home language can destroy a whole culture.
      I left out a couple of things in my post. First, I have been reading for many years about the Irish language- Gaeilge. It's history is similar to many of the indigenous languages of North America. After the the colonization of Ireland by Britain the speaking of Irish in the schools was prohibited. The speaking of Irish had only been spoken in homes and in the rural areas on the South and West Coasts. And also in the Northwest. After the independence and the formation of the Republic of Ireland, Irish was required in all schools. The Republic saw it as key to the revival of the Irish culture. Even today they struggle to keep the language alive  and English is the dominate language. They see language is key for keeping their culture as many indigenous groups around our country.
    P.E.A.C.E. (Peace Educators Allied for Children Everywhere) and the NAEYC Peace Educators Interest Forum see Home Language is an important part of peace education curriculum. It should also be part of an anti-bias curriculum. We welcome articles in our newsletter on your experiences  with Home Language especially in this UN Year of Indigenous Languages 2019. Go to our web page at www.peaceeducators.org or contact us at 1peaceeducators@gmail.com .

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    Craig Simpson
    Dorchester MA
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  • 4.  RE: Home Language

    Posted 05-24-2019 01:44 PM
    Thank you for sharing about the Wampanoag Tribe preschool. I also wanted to make sure members knew about the NAEYC Tribal and Indigenous Early Childhood Network Interest Forum  which always welcomes new members to share resources and to support with virtual and in-person programming.

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    Lark Sontag
    Community Engagement Manager
    National Association for the Education of Young Children
    Washington DC
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