Singing in multilingual early childhood centers in Luxembourg

Singing activities are a staple in early childhood settings. Beyond offering
moments of relaxation, singing has potential benefits for children’s devel-
opment and promotes language learning. Nonetheless, educators seem
to value singing more as entertainment than as a learning tool.
Furthermore, few studies have examined either the functions of songs in
multilingual settings or the manners in which teachers scaffold children’s
learning. This study, based on three early childhood centers serving
children aged 2 to 4 in multilingual Luxembourg, analyzes the purposes
of songs and the young children’s participation in singing with
a qualitative methodology. The three centers were selected on account
of their different locations, dominant languages, and prior experiences
with either literacy or collaboration. The authors selected adult-initiated
and child-initiated singing episodes to investigate the purposes of singing
throughout the day, identify potential benefits in relation to valuing and
encountering institutional languages and home languages and examining
children’s engagement. Findings indicated four main areas for the use of
songs: structuring the day and helping understand routine activities,
enhancing socialization, entertaining children, and valuing home lan-
guages. Furthermore, children’s participation varied across centers and
educators and depended on the pedagogical practices, the opportunities
offered by the educators, and the ways the educators scaffolded learning.
We conclude with research and policy recommendations, highlighting the
need for professional development training that expands the educators’
knowledge and skills necessary to maximize the benefits of songs in
multilingual settings