The Gift

Dual Language Learners (DLLs) are children who are learning and developing in more than one language. In the United States, 1 in 3 children under the age of 8 are DLLs. Each Dual Language Learner is given a precious gift by his family: the gift of their first language and home culture. DLLs are eager to share their gift with others in their classroom community, but most importantly, they rely on this valuable gift to access the knowledge they have gained about the world and to continue to grow and learn as they develop their English. As educators, we must value this gift and bring it into the classroom, integrating it in everything we do as a foundation to make them more successful learners. Their gift is a gift to all of us. Their gift is a gift to our future.