Rationale: In room (1–3 years), most children come from Chinese-speaking families, with several from other backgrounds. Many children prefer to initiate conversations in Mandarin with me and with their Chinese peers. As an educator, I often respond using a mix of Mandarin and English, yet I question how to strike the right balance — encouraging English development while also respecting and valuing home languages.

Inclusive communication is crucial because it directly shapes children’s sense of belonging, identity, and participation. When home languages are ignored, children may feel excluded from peer play or group routines. Research highlights that bilingualism is not a delay but a strength. Cologon (2023) explains that home languages are central to identity and belonging, while Cummins (2001) argues that additive bilingualism — learning English while maintaining the mother tongue — supports both cognitive and social development.

This inquiry is significant because it reflects a real challenge in practice. By exploring how inclusive communication can be scaffolded in multilingual toddler rooms, I hope to better support children’s peer relationships, strengthen family partnerships, and develop inclusive teaching strategies.

Key Terms / Concepts:

Inclusive communication

Bilingualism / multilingualism

Code-switching

Translanguaging

Additive bilingualism

Belonging

Cologon, K., & Mevawalla, Z. (2023). Inclusive education in the early years: Right from the start (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

• This paper argues that inclusive education in the early years must position children’s home languages and cultural identities as central, not peripheral, and they present frameworks and strategies for embedding diversity, belonging, and language inclusion from the start.

Zheng, Z., Degotardi, S., & Djonov, E. (2021). Supporting multilingual development in early childhood education: A scoping review. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 57, 275–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.10.005

• Zheng, Degotardi, and Djonov (2021) present a scoping review of research on multilingual development in early childhood education. They highlight how educators can support children’s home languages alongside English, identify gaps in practice, and emphasise the importance of inclusive pedagogical strategies in linguistically diverse settings.

Jones Díaz, C., Cardona, B., & Escudero, P. (2022). Exploring the perceptions of early childhood educators on the delivery of multilingual education in Australia: Challenges and opportunities. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 25(4), 488–502. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491221137900

• Jones Díaz, Cardona, and Escudero (2022/2024) explore Australian early childhood educators’ perceptions of multilingual education. The study highlights both challenges—such as limited training and resources—and opportunities for embedding multilingual practices that affirm children’s linguistic identities.

• How can educators support inclusive communication practices in toddler rooms where children speak multiple home languages?

• In what ways does recognising and embedding children’s home languages alongside English influence their belonging and participation in peer play?

The change I want to explore is how to respect children’s home language, while at the same time encouraging their English development. In practice, this might mean acknowledging children’s use of home language during play or routines, then gently extending their communication in English. Using bilingual storybooks, songs, and simple everyday phrases in both languages can support this balance. Visual supports such as picture cards can also help children participate, especially when peers do not share the same language.

To see how these strategies work, I would collect data through daily observations and reflection. Anecdotal notes and running records could capture when children use Mandarin or English, and whether they shift between languages depending on context. A reflective journal would allow me to analyse what strategies seemed effective and where challenges remain in balancing respect for Mandarin with English scaffolding.