Karen Nemeth earned her BA in psychology from William Paterson University and her MEd in learning, cognition, and development from Rutgers University. She has been a teacher and a teacher educator for more than 25 years, focusing her expertise on first and second language development in young children. She is a nationally known speaker and consultant and the author of three Gryphon House books. She is also a NAEYC author and consulting editor.
Reviews
Praise for Many Languages, One Classroom:
"I've been using Many Languages, One Classroom in my Language and Literacy Development class this semester and have found it to be an excellent resource for the students."
—Patricia Cantor, professor of education and early childhood studies coordinator at Plymouth State University
"This timely guide is designed to aid preschool teachers and administrators in supporting children's home language while helping them learn English...This invaluable resource makes a critical contribution to our understanding of this topic and the ability to teach dual-language learners."
—NAEYC
"An important tool for opening the door to literacy and learning for English learners."
—Texas Child Care Quarterly
Media
Presentations
“Advancing Cultural/Linguistic Responsiveness to Prevent/Address Challenging Behaviors” National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations National Training Institute April, 2023
"Ensuring the Engagement and Learning of MLLs" National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations National Training Institute April, 2024
“Supporting Joyful/Meaningful Play in Many Languages” First Up – Champions for Early Childhood Education Conference, April, 2023
“Annual Bilingual/ESL Conference: Special Edition on Early Childhood” William Paterson University, December 2023
“Secrets to Early Language Success: Tips for Giving Young Children the Best Start for Learning” NJTESOL/NJBE Parent Expo, January 2024
“Innovative Approaches for Teaching Young Multilingual Learners” Bright Start International Conference, London, England November 15, 2024
"Create an Environment for Learning and Play that Truly Engages Children with Diverse Languages" at the Pennsylvania Early Childhood Summit, October, 2024
Keynotes
“Supporting Multilingual Learners in Preschool” LEES Institute, William Paterson University of NJ, December 13, 2024
“Courageous Teaching for Young Children from all Experiences, Cultures, Abilities, and Languages” Central Region Educational Cooperative Choose Courage Institute, May, 2023
Webinars
“Teaching Multilingual Learners: The Research Shows Us the How and Why of What Works” hosted by Young Child Learning on December 5, 2024. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/teaching-multilingual-learners-effectively-tickets-933689108257?aff=oddtdtcreator
Podcasts
“Teaching Early Childhood Multilingual Learners”, May, 25, 2023, Lifting Language Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-early-childhood-multilingual-learners/id1657001450?i=1000614467112
“The Power of Connecting with Multilingual Learners with Monica Pujol-Nassif”, 11/21/2023 for Teachstone https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/69ed522f-35e6-4f28-a108-22c03911243a/episodes/41591852-0522-4804-9d4c-01e73bbcc66a/teaching-with-class%C2%AE-the-power-of-connecting-with-multilingual-learners
“3-D Play and Expression for Young Multilingual Learners with Rosanne Regan Hansel,” January 29, 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGUHKWO-8vI
“The Beckies Chat with Karen Nemeth all about multiple language learners” January, 2024, Thriving Languages Podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/3He9HzKPI8tpgVxwIKSNnT
“The Beckies Chat with Karen Nemeth this time all about multilingual learners” July, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sf7EQj8jUixku8JNOOwD3
“Karen Nemeth on Strategies to Engage Multilingual Learners in All Areas of Development” with Kathy Brodie on Early Years TV March, 2025 https://www.earlyyears.tv/episode/free-video-karen-nemeth-on-strategies-to-engage-multilingual-learners-in-all-areas-of-learning/
Visit Karen Nemeth's Multilingual Learners blog.
