Mapping Multilingual Pedagogies for Young Learners: A Scoping Review of Theories, Practices, Benefits and Challenges in European Early Childhood and Early Primary Education

This scoping review maps multilingual education practices implemented in European Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and early-primary settings for children primarily aged 3–7. Mixed-age ECEC samples extending below age 3 were also eligible when the participating group served children within the target range. Following PRISMA-ScR guidance, peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 and indexed in Scopus or Web of Science were examined. Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were analysed in relation to their theoretical foundations, pedagogical practices, reported benefits, and challenges. The reported practices drew on diverse frameworks, including translanguaging and plurilingualism, pluralistic and language-awareness approaches, bilingual and CLIL education, emergent literacy, oral-language intervention, and home–ECEC collaboration. Practices included storytelling, shared reading, language comparison, play-based and multimodal activities, songs and rhymes, vocabulary and phonics instruction, translanguaging interaction, and parent-supported literacy activities. Across the included studies, reported benefits concerned engagement, inclusion, oral language, vocabulary, narrative competence, emergent literacy, metalinguistic awareness, attitudes towards linguistic diversity, identity, agency, and home–school continuity. Reported challenges included uneven effects, implementation constraints, fidelity issues, persistent monolingual ideologies, and limited integration of children’s home or heritage languages. The findings offer tentative implications for early-years pedagogy and educator preparation. Further longitudinal, comparative and implementation-focused research would help strengthen the evidence base for sustainable multilingual pedagogies in early education.