Can anyone advise how to best begin teaching a child to read when we hope to raise him bilingually? Do we begin with both immediately or start with one and introduce another later? All advice most welcome!! Thank you!
Hi ZDG, 
The decision on which language to teach first is entirely up to you - while your child is at that very young age, you have the opportunity to teach him multiple languages. The only key to doing this is to be consistent in your usage of the language (so your child has a contextual environment on which to use what he has learned) and to be CONSISTENT in your lessons in teaching him and the USAGE of the language in relating to persons, objects and environments.
The great thing is, there are very many ways to teach your child several languages! Most of them are inexpensive, some of them are even free, and all of them are fun to try!
Here are a few ideas:
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Organize visits and home plays with friends or community members that speaking the particular language that you would like your child to learn.
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Join a local / or start your own bilingual learning playgroup that is community-minded and focused on children’s language learning; aim at providing the best outcome for families.
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Use free on-line learning materials, and learn a language or practice with your child.
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Songs are the best way of helping your child to learn a new language. Use fun language CDs in the car, at home, in the playroom.
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Print out or make some flash cards and place them all over your house. Visual stimulation is so important for your little one’s brain development. Place them around your house to help your son make connections with what he sees and what the words mean.
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Make a space available to encourage your toddler to draw and express himself on the wall, whiteboard, if possible. Don’t forget that gross motor skill development is a vital part of language learning.
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Most importantly, don’t forget try to make learning as FUN AS POSSIBLE!
Don’t forget to also make a post here in the forum (if you haven’t signed up for an account, I would suggest you do so) in case you have other questions or if you’d like more ideas on how to teach multiple languages to your child. Many of our forumers have successfully taught their kids in different languages, and ideas abound whenever there are many people who are able to pitch in on a discussion about your topic.
I hope this information helps you in some way! Good luck on your teaching adventures, and we wish you and your family happiness on your learning journey!