7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child

Naomi Steiner, M.D. (Boston, MA) is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician who works with bilingual families at Tufts Medical Center Boston. Susan L. Hayes (Brooklyn, NY) is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Parent Child, Parenting, Woman's Day , and other publications.

• CONTENTS Foreword Introduction Step 1: Building the Foundation for Your Child’s Bilingualism What Does It Mean to Be a Bilingual Family What Does It Mean to Be Bilingual? 7 Common Myths about Bilingualism The Bilingual Advantage Step 2: Making It Happen: Defining Your Goals Decide Which Languages Are Important to You and Why Identify Your Motivations for—and Your Reservations about—Bilingualism Worksheet 1 Language Questionnaire Choose Which Language(s) You and Your Partner Are Going to Speak to Your Child Set a Start Date Determine How Proficient You Hope Your Child Will Be in a Second Language Do a Reality Check. Are Your Proficiency Goals Realistic for Your Family? Take into Account That One Language Will Be Dominant  Worksheet 2 My Bilingual Goals and Choices Step 3: Becoming a Bilingual Coach Part One: Taking Charge Part Two: Who Speaks Which Language When? Step 4: Creating Your Bilingual Action Plan Part One: Maximizing Language Input at Home Part Two: Making The Most of Community and Family Resources Part Three: FindingSchool Support Part Four: How Three Families Are Raising Bilingual Children Part Five: Create Your Own Bilingual Action Plan Worksheet 3 What Are the Key Components to My Bilingual Action Plan? Worksheet 4 Our Family’s Weekly Bilingual Schedule Step 5: Leaping over Predictable Obstacles Predictable Obstacle 1: I’m Not Sure That I’m Speaking to My Child in a Way That Will Help Him Become Bilingual Predictable Obstacle 2: My Child Does Not Want to Speak My Language Anymore—She Only Wants to Speak English Predictable Obstacle 3: My Child Keeps Mixing Languages Predictable Obstacle 4: I’m Self-Conscious about Speaking My Language to My Child in Public Predictable Obstacle 5: Because I’m the One Who Speaks a Second Language, I Feel Like I’m the One Doing All the Work to Raise Our Child Bilingual Predictable Obstacle 6: My Work Schedule Has Become Really Hectic, and There’s Little Time for My Child’s Bilingualism Step 6: The “Two Rs”: Reading and Writing in Two Languages Reading in a Second Language The Write Stuff Step 7: Adapting to School: The Bilingual Child Goes to School Part One: Public Bilingual Education Programs: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re at, and Where We’re Going Part Two: Results May Vary: How to Handle Special Situations That Can Affect Your Child’s Bilingual Academic Progress Conclusion Bilingual Resource List