A Blueprint for Chinese Immersion Preschools in the United States

Over the past few years, universal preschool, and whether or not it should be free, has entered the public discourse and policy discussions from the White House, Congress, and different levels of the government. The inequity exposed by the socio-economic gaps exacerbated by COVID-19 has increased the level of urgency in addressing this issue. While policymakers discuss legislation and funding, the education community can contribute to the discourse by providing research findings and examples of best practices around the nation. In turn, it can benefit by thinking ahead about how universal preschool can be optimized in all localities in the United States.

This paper, along with two CELIN Briefs, An Emerging Field: Chinese Immersion Preschool Education and Surveying Chinese Immersion Preschool Programs and Teachers in the United States: 2020-2021, offers a blueprint of how to provide high-quality English and Chinese immersion preschool experiences for all children. It begins by discussing the vision, goals, rationale for, and research supporting the value and importance of Chinese language immersion preschools. It then describes the state of the Chinese immersion preschool field in 2020-2021 and discusses the challenges that the field faces. It concludes with seven recommendations aimed at building the infrastructure for a system of demand and supply for Chinese immersion preschools.