In the last decade, a growing number of schools have begun implementing dual language education (DLE), and studies have shown evidence of the benefits of DLE for elementary education students. However, existing research syntheses do not focus on DLE in the early years (pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten), considering young bilingual children’s development and learning characteristics. In this paper, a novel conceptual framework is used to explore the extant literature on DLE in the early years moving beyond Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to consider additional characteristics relating to bilingual children’s development and learning. A systematic literature review was conducted following a rigorous procedure, resulting in nine studies that met the inclusion criteria. Information about each study was coded and analyzed. The results describe the studies’ sample characteristics, research design, and findings organized by students’ academic skills (i.e., language, literacy, and mathematics), dual language classroom practices, and parents’ perceptions of DLE. This paper highlights current knowledge of DLE programs in the early years, identifies gaps, and offers recommendations for future research, policy, and practice.

This scoping review provides clarity on the landscape of evidence-based and High-Leverage Practices that have been shown to be effective with students with disabilities and have the potential to meet the needs of marginalized students across lines of difference. Of 672 articles screened, 85 met eligibility criteria, including 46 studies, 11 systematic reviews, and 28 conceptual papers. Among included articles, instruction practices were the most frequently reported High-Leverage Practice category (89.4%), followed by social, emotional, and behavioral practices (37.6%), and assessment practices (25.8%). A wide variety of specific evidence-based practices were identified in the literature. Marginalized student identities represented included English language learners, students with disabilities, neurodivergent students, racially or ethnically marginalized students, students with health disabilities, and students with behavioral or emotional difficulties. Future research should consider further examining the effectiveness of different practices to inform data-driven decision-making to improve educational outcomes for marginalized students.

The present study examined parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of student learning in Spanish–English Dual Language Education (DLE) programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants included 72 parents of students from kindergarten to second grade and eight teachers in two schools in the southeastern U.S. Parents retrospectively reported their perceptions of their children’s instruction and learning experiences in English and Spanish during the 2020–2021 school year. Teachers reported if their students had opportunities to practice oral bilingual skills and their perception of students’ improvement in English and Spanish skills. Parents reported that there were more opportunities to practice English than there were to practice Spanish. Teachers reported that remote instruction offered fewer opportunities than hybrid instruction did to practice oral language skills. Overall, the teachers agreed that students’ language skills in English and Spanish improved. Similarly, the parents agreed that students’ language skills improved; however, they reported that their English skills improved more than their Spanish skills did. Student and family background factors, such as language fluency and parental education, were negatively associated with barriers to remote access. Implications for future research and suggestions for supporting students attending DLE programs during remote instruction are offered.