Issue of Equity Assessment 1 Name: Uyen Nguyen

Annotated bibliography

Introduction

An increasing of English Learners children in early childhood education requires educators to

enhance their knowledge and skills to develop awareness about diversity and practice this
awareness to curriculum planning. The below-annotated bibliographies indicate the equity of
education for preschool English language learners through using persona dolls.

Annotated bibliography
Langeloo, A., Mascareño Lara, M., Deunk, M., Klitzing, N., & Strijbos, J. (2019). A Systematic
Review of Teacher–Child Interactions With Multilingual Young Children. Review of
Educational Research, 89(4), 536-568. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319855619

In this article, Langeloo et al. review Teacher-Child interactions (TCi) that multilingual children
are incurred, and differences of TCi between monolingual and multilingual children. The review’s
valued information is gathered from the data collection and analysis methods of 31 sample studies.
These empirical articles concentrate on the TCi of early-year-old multilingual children. The
research focuses on differences of TCi of monolingual and multilingual children in term of
teacher’s expectations and cultural differences, and “Teaching through interactions” framework
(p.548) in early childhood education, which concludes emotional support, classroom organisation
and instructional support. The main limitation of this article is that the research was restricted to
information on multilingual children’s socioeconomic status, language background and proficiency.
The authors acknowledge this in their limitations and suggest that the inclusive learning
environments of the linguistical diverse classroom should involve home culture into majority
culture to adapt multilingual children to the classroom practices. This article will be useful for my
research topic, as it intensively mentions the classroom practices and implications for each domain
of teaching through interactions framework in the multilingual classroom.

Sullivan, B., Hegde, A. V., Ballard, S. M., & Ticknor, A. S. (2015). Interactions and relationships
between kindergarten teachers and English language learners. Early Child Development &
Care, 185(3), 341–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2014.919496

Sullivan et al.’s article investigates the differences in native-English-speaking kindergarten

teacher interactions and relationships with English Language Learners (ELL) and non-ELL
students. The authors use data gained through an organisational survey of 30 kindergarten teachers

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Issue of Equity Assessment 1 Name: Uyen Nguyen

in full-day classrooms, which have at least one ELL student, in East-North Carolina, USA. The
study focuses on depicting classroom and kindergarten characteristics, exploring closeness and
conflict relationships between kindergarten teachers and ELL students and non-ELL students, and
examining teach-student relationship’s influence on ELL student’s social academic experience. The
significant results showed that native-speaking kindergarten teachers have fewer closer
relationships with ELL students than non-ELL students, and spend much time for writing and
phonics with ELL student in the classroom. The authors argue that focusing on interactions and
communication between native-speaking teachers with ELL students lead to developing ELL
student’s cognition and social emotion, which is an important consideration for class practices in
the multilingual classroom. The limitation is a small sample size that only considers public school
in three counties of the USA. Therefore, more research will be undertaken to examine whether the
differences in teach-ELL student interaction are reflected amongst multilingual students more
broadly. This article is useful in providing valuable information for my research.

Konishi, C. (2007). Learning English as a second language: a case study of a Chinese girl in an
American preschool. Childhood Education, 5, 267. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2007.10522930

The article by Konishi describes supportive learning environments in which non-English-

speaking young children promote their cognitive, linguistic, social development. Information in the
article is gained from data resources such as empirical participations and observations,
questionnaire and interviews. The study discusses in detail the learning environment’s factors
affecting on the language development of a three-year-old English learning learner. The article
underlines that positive friendships with English-speaking children and trusted relationships with
bilingual teachers enable the child to have a positive attitude towards language learning through
play. The author also suggests various ways for teachers to support limited English proficiency
student within the classroom. This paper looked at a specific sample, thus, the results are not
generalized. Another limitation of the article is that the background of involved teachers was only
international, hence the author indicates that, more extensive, following-up study need to be
researched more in-depth understanding of native-teachers effect of English learning learners with a
large number of ethnic child participants. The implications presented are consistent with classroom
practices, which I am discussing in understanding equity in early childhood education.

Niklas, F., Tayler, C., & Cohrssen, C. (2018). Bilingual children’s language learning in Australian
early childhood education and care settings. Research Papers in Education, 33(4), 434–450.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2017.1353672

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Issue of Equity Assessment 1 Name: Uyen Nguyen

The article by Niklas, Tayler & Cohrssen investigates how language and literacy abilities of
young bilingual children are supported in Australia early childhood education settings. The authors
use data gained through Australia large-scale longitudinal study. The study focuses on the quality of
early childhood education programs and teacher-child interactions, and hours of attended
kindergarten. This article will be beneficial for my research topic as its findings reveal that the
development of bilingual children’s English verbal abilities could be affected more hours of
attendance kindergarten programmes with high-quality teacher-child interactions. the authors have
no explanation for teaching practices of high-quality interactions between teacher and bilingual
children. This paper looked at only the verbal abilities’ development of bilingual children while
children might be fluent in their native language and domain school language. Therefore, further
research will need to investigate children’s retention of home languages while they are learning a
new language in school. This article will be helpful supplementary information for my research on
bilingual children’s language’s learning.

Logue, M. E., Bennett-Armistead, V. S., & Kim, S. (2011). The persona doll project: Promoting
diversity awareness among preservice teachers through storytelling. Social Studies Research and
Practice, 6(2), 1-14.

In the article, Logue, Bennett-Armistead & Kim describe persona doll project, with the aim of
increasing preservice teachers’ awareness about the diversity of children and family through their
reflection on experiences and bias, promoting advocacy skills and developing awareness of the
social challenges some children are facing in schools. The authors use data gain through
experiential intervention with sixty-three undergraduate students in class in the rural north-eastern
state, USA. The project’s intervention includes sharing a persona doll-child story, which a student
advocate for a persona doll-child that has a given name, divers background and personality. The
article is greatly critical to my research topic as Logue et al. analyse what teaching practices are
effective or ineffective through persona doll’s Eyes and experiences. This paper looked at the
participation of Caucasia students which can not address the anti-bias thinking and attitudes under
different conditions. Involving diverse students in the class would be needed before the discussion
can be generalized. The project’s outcomes presented are supported my research to critically reflect
on and take action to equity and diversity in early childhood education.

Jesuvadian, M. K., & Wright, S. (n.d.). Doll tales: Foregrounding children’s voices in
research. Early Child Development and Care, 181(3), 277–285.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430903293172

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Issue of Equity Assessment 1 Name: Uyen Nguyen

The article discusses the effects of using persona dolls on young children as sharing their
feelings, emotions and life experiences. Jesuvadian & Wright conducted the study by semi-
structured interviewing four children aged between four and six in the centre’s music room, in
Singapore. The study focuses on how children identify their racial identity and establish friends
regarding their racial characteristics. The authors revealed that children are aware of race,
exclusion, discrimination and diversity through interacting with diverse persona dolls, which is the
effectiveness of using persona dolls. The key limitation of Jesuvadian et al.’s work is that the study
was restricted to four children – a small sample size. More follow-up research, thus, will be
undertaken to see whether using persona dolls are effective amongst students more broadly. This
article is helpful in my research as the authors mention that children have empathy, and voice their
feelings and attitudes with other’s life stories as providing person dolls.

Conclusion

Throughout the chosen articles, I understand that young multilingual children with home language
differing the domain spoken language in their country may face the challenges in social and
emotional expressions and literacy and academic achievement in school. Like language barriers,
limited English proficiency children can feel isolated, alone and sad. Early childcare settings, thus,
create supportive learning environments for these students. Some suggested classroom practices for
multilingual children from the articles are positive teacher and children relationships, language
learning through play, powerful peer relationships. To support non-English-speaking children
overcoming language barriers, using Persona doll is an essential way to address how non-English-
speaking children learn the domain language in school, and native-speaking children have empathy
with people who have limited language. For example, an educator plays an interpreter role in the
storytelling about a persona doll that has limited English proficiency, and feel alone and isolated in
the classroom. The educator not only guides the doll to learn new common English words but also
explains the doll’s language in English. Through this way, the educator scaffold children how to
engage in playing and communicating effectively with people having the same situation of the
persona doll.

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Issue of Equity Assessment 1 Name: Uyen Nguyen

REFERENCE
Jesuvadian, M. K., & Wright, S. (n.d.). Doll tales: Foregrounding children’s voices in research. Early Child
Development and Care, 181(3), 277–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430903293172

Konishi, C. (2007). Learning English as a second language: a case study of a Chinese girl in an American
preschool. Childhood Education, 5, 267. doi: 10.1080/00094056.2007.10522930

Langeloo, A., Mascareño Lara, M., Deunk, M., Klitzing, N., & Strijbos, J. (2019). A Systematic Review of
Teacher–Child Interactions With Multilingual Young Children. Review of Educational Research, 89(4),
536-568. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654319855619

Logue, M. E., Bennett-Armistead, V. S., & Kim, S. (2011). The persona doll project: Promoting diversity
awareness among preservice teachers through storytelling. Social Studies Research and Practice, 6(2), 1-
14.

Niklas, F., Tayler, C., & Cohrssen, C. (2018). Bilingual children’s language learning in Australian early
childhood education and care settings. Research Papers in Education, 33(4), 434–450.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2017.1353672

Sullivan, B., Hegde, A. V., Ballard, S. M., & Ticknor, A. S. (2015). Interactions and relationships between
kindergarten teachers and English language learners. Early Child Development & Care, 185(3), 341–359.
https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2014.919496

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