It’s almost noon, and after playing on the playground, working with clay and washing their hands, the 2-year-olds are ready for lunch.
asserted
olds → ’ → lunch
The eight children and their Head Start teachers pray in English, thanking God for the meal.
asserted
children → pray → meal
Then, the adults bring over several bowls.
asserted
adults → bring → bowls
In Spanish, the teacher announces the children are having rice, asking Eduardo to start serving.
asserted
children → announce → Eduardo
The little boy grabs a ladle and scoops rice onto his plate.
asserted
boy → grab → plate
The center serves more than 50 children from mostly Guatemalan families, ages six months to 5 years.
asserted
center → serve → years
Most students arrive speaking little or no English.
asserted
students → arrive → English
Children who speak a language other than English at home account for at least a third of the enrollment in Head Start, a federally funded early childhood program serving roughly 700,000 low-income children and their parents.
asserted
who → speak → children
For decades, Head Start has supported these kids by hiring multilingual teachers to teach them English, while using their home languages as a foundation.
asserted
Start → support → foundation
But an overhaul of Head Start’s standards proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration would amend that approach.
asserted
overhaul → propose → approach
If finalized, the proposal would require Head Start programs to conduct all education in English, though programs could seek waivers and certain Tribal-language instruction would be exempt.
uncertain
instruction → finalize → waivers
The administration argues emphasizing English will expand children’s future economic opportunities and their ability to participate in American communities.
asserted
emphasizing → argue → communities
“A firm foundation in the English language” is critical to preparing kids for school, said the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Head Start, in response to questions from The Associated Press.
asserted
which → prepare → Press
The administration says the change would allow programs to reduce multilingual services and redirect resources toward English-language education and “assimilation.”
asserted
programs → say → education
But it also estimates tens of millions of dollars in one-time costs to make the switch to English instruction, including nearly $47 million to replace curricula, books and other classroom materials containing other languages.
asserted
it → estimate → languages
How Head Start teaches in multiple languages
Toys line shelves in the Immokalee classrooms, labeled in English and Spanish — helicopters, airplanes, tower builders.
asserted
Toys → teach → English
Bilingual signs show shapes in different colors and list children’s birthdays.
asserted
signs → show → birthdays
Every day, teachers sing and read in both languages, with offerings like “La Vaca Lola” (Lola the Cow), “The Wheels on the Bus,” “El Camioncito Azul” (Little Blue Truck) and “Pete the Cat.”
asserted
teachers → sing → Bus
One afternoon, a group of children is eating muffins when it suddenly grows dark outside and thunder rolls.
asserted
thunder → eat → muffins
Noticing the preschoolers look worried, a teacher explains in English, “When you see it, it’s lightning.
asserted
it → notice → it
When you hear it, it’s thunder.
asserted
it → hear → it
“Thunder,” a boy responds.
asserted
boy → respond → Thunder
Another answers the question in Spanish, noting the danger: “Es muy peligroso.”
asserted
Another → answer → danger
“Si te cae un rayo muy fuerte, te puedes lastimar,” the teacher responds.
asserted
teacher → cae → rayo
(If a very strong bolt of lightning hits you, you could get hurt.)
uncertain
you → hit → you
Then she adds in English: “So we don’t go outside.”
asserted
we → add → English
The children cover their ears.
asserted
children → cover → ears
“¡Lo escuché!” one shouts.
asserted
one → shout → ?
(I heard it!)
asserted
I → hear → it
Speaking in English, the teacher tries to calm them down.
asserted
teacher → speak → them
Everything is fine, she explains.
asserted
she → explain → ?
This is part of Head Start’s Planned Language Approach in action.
asserted
This → plan → action
Educators help children learn English while also using the language they speak at home — not simply as an accommodation, but as a teaching strategy.
asserted
they → help → strategy
Research shows skills and knowledge developed in a child’s home language can provide a foundation for learning English.
asserted
skills → show → English
If a child already knows the word for “yellow” in Spanish, she doesn’t have to completely rediscover the concept behind the color when learning the word in English.
asserted
she → know → English
Rather, Spanish becomes a bridge to English.
asserted
Spanish → become → English
Asked for research supporting the proposed English-only requirement, the Department of Health and Human Services pointed to a section of the proposal that cites Trump’s executive order designating English as the country’s official language.
asserted
that → ask → language
“The changes set forth in the proposed Head Start rule help achieve these goals by exposing children to English earlier, during a critical time in children’s development,” a department spokeswoman said.
asserted
spokeswoman → set → development
But education studies don’t back up the administration’s claim, said Michael López, a child psychologist who has spent more than three decades researching early learning and leading Head Start studies for the federal government and non-governmental organizations.
uncertain
who → back → government
“There’s really not any credible research basis that suggests that English-only instruction will produce stronger English academic outcomes,” López said.
uncertain
López → ’ → outcomes
…and 40 more, not listed.
The Aporia
