Early Childhood Language Intensive Program
Overview
The Early Childhood Language Intensive Program
The Early Childhood Language Intensive Program (ECLIP) assists Catholic schools with implementing bilingual programming at the early childhood level with a focus on Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. ECLIP provides curricular resources and teacher formation to help students - both English speakers and Spanish speakers - to develop foundational literacy skills in Spanish. The ECLIP program is rooted in sharing faith, knowledge, language, and culture through developmentally appropriate, engaging lessons. It provides a creative way to engage young children at an age when their brains easily acquire language (Kershen & Cruz Martinez, 2025).
The ECLIP program design is undergirded by research indicating that learning foundational phonics and reading skills in Spanish is a helpful bridge to English literacy. Studies show that foundational literacy skills transfer between languages (Colorín Colorado, 2015; Meyer, 2010), and early ECLIP results have solidified these findings. While learning to read in Spanish is important for its own sake, these skills also benefit students’ English literacy skills (Helios, 2020; NYSED, 2025).
ECLIP Program Aims
- Invite children to learn language at an age when they can easily acquire it
- Strengthen literacy skills through cross-linguistic instruction
- Celebrate the linguistic and cultural diversity of the Catholic Church
- Increase cultural representation in the school staff
- Build bridges between knowledge, faith, culture, and language
- Cultivate a learning network between educators through professional learning communities (PLCs)
- Expand enrollment at the early childhood level through an innovative language program
Testimonials
"Being able to teach my native language and share my culture with my students was such a gift, and it sets our school apart from the rest.”
"This program gave me the confidence to grow from an aide into a teaching role. It was a very powerful experience for me, inviting me to share my language, culture, and stories with children at a very young age when their brains are primed to absorb languages!"
"This program helped unleash a wellspring of energy in our entire school, not just our preschool . . . for the first time ever, we celebrated a bilingual school Mass."
"Partnering with ENL in projects like ECLIP helps me grow grass roots, authentic efforts at Latino enrollment and engagement throughout the archdiocese…When principals see for themselves how Latino engagement results in enrollment gains and adds vibrancy to the school community, it builds buy-in. Schools experience for themselves how growth in Latino students serves as a pathway to sustainability and transformation. We need more efforts like these across the country."
For any questions, please contact Elisa Dralle (edralle@nd.edu) or visit our FAQs page.