Resources

THE MENTOR-TEACHER HANDBOOK ON EARLY LITERACY FOR MIGRANT & SEASONAL HEAD START CLASSROOMS. 2003.
Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Quality Improvement Center. Washington, D.C.: Academy for Educational Development.
This mentor handbook supports the professional development of MSHS teachers and family child care providers. The handbook is organized by early literacy topics and includes discussion of research findings, teaching strategies, and successful mentor-coaching practices. Available in Spanish. Available at www.mhsqic.org .

A CREATIVE ADVENTURE: SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING THROUGH ART, MUSIC, MOVEMENT, AND DIALOGUE. 2000.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Commissioner’s Office of Research and Evaluation, Head Start Bureau. Washington, D.C.: Author.
This multimedia kit focuses on the importance of creative opportunities in a child’s development and suggests activities to stimulate creativity at home or in the classroom. Contents include a videotape, media guide, and poster. Available in Spanish. Available at www.headstartinfo.org

CELEBRATING CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN HEAD START. 2000.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children, Youth and Families. Commissioner’s Office of Research and Evaluation, Head Start Bureau. Washington, D.C.: Author.
The study was commissioned by ACYF in order to better understand the diversity in language and culture of the Head Start population, to identify the range of services provided to this population, and to describe barriers faced by Head Start programs as they address the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Available at www.headstartinfo.org

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS FOCUS GROUP REPORT: IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS. 2002.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, Head Start and Early Head Start. Prepared by Educational Services, Inc., Washington, D.C.
The goal of the two-day focus group was to solicit specific recommendations regarding effective approaches for addressing the opportunities and challenges presented by working with HS/EHS children and families who are English language learners. Participants included parents, program staff, and researchers. Available at www.headstartinfo.org

LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY AND EARLY LITERACY: SERVING CULTURALLY DIVERSE FAMILIES IN EARLY HEAD START. TECHNICAL PAPER NO. 5. 2001.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. Prepared by Early Head Start National Resource Center @ ZERO TO THREE. Washington, D.C.: Author.
This paper focuses on early language development in children from culturally and linguistically diverse families and the implications for later literacy development. Guidelines are provided for program implementation. Two Early Head Start programs are profiled and their language policies are described. Available at www.ehsnrc.org

MULTICULTURAL PRINCIPLES FOR HEAD START PROGRAMS. 1992.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. Washington, D.C.: Author.
Developed by the Head Start Multicultural Task Force, the 10 principles listed in this document were expanded by regional and national staff within ACF and experts in the field of multicultural programming. These principles stand as a challenge to Head Start grantees and delegate agencies to focus their efforts on individualizing services so that every child and family feels respected and valued. This publication was incorporated into the revision of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, 1996. Available in Spanish. Available at www.headstartinfo.org

SUPPORTING THE HOME LANGUAGE AND PROMOTING ENGLISH ACQUISITION WITHIN MIGRANT AND SEASONAL HEAD START.
Yandian, S. and J. Jones. 2002. Washington, D.C.: Academy for Educational Development.
The intent of the paper was to: 1) summarize the relevant research around first and second language development; 2) provide guidance on creating language rich environments in both English and Spanish; and 3) provide suggestions for achieving the mandated documentation on Head Start children’s progress towards English acquisition. The paper includes discussion of simultaneous vs. sequential bilingualism and culture and language; recommendations include best practices and selected teaching strategies that support early childhood bilingualism. Available at www.mhsqic.org/init/seclang/secondlang.pdf