The pursuit of literacy in two languages at the same time

Abstract

Between September and December 2023, Babylonia collected questions from parents regarding their children's language development. This article aims to answer the following question: We are a multilingual home (Spanish; German) and would like our children to learn to read and write in both languages. My 6-year-old son is learning to read and write in German in school. Is it advisable for my child to start learning to read in Spanish only once he has learned to do so in German? Or is it feasible to pursue his literacy in both languages at the same time?

Keywords

• biliteracy
• home language
• reading
• writing
• bilingual children
• literacy practices