4/22-Intervention for ELLs with Language Impairment: Foundational Principles Flashcards
What is available for students when RtI has been found to be insufficient to meet their learning needs?
a range of options
What do available options depend upon?
they depend greatly upon the particular school district and what state it is in.
You have to find out what your particular school district offers
What is the first option after RtI has proven to be insufficient?
Consultative, collaborative service provision in which ELL students remains in the general education classroom and the teacher receives assistance from special education personnel, ESL teachers, and/or bilingual staff members.
What is the 2nd option after RtI has proven to be insufficient?
- Pull-out services in English (or ideally, bilingual tx) conducted 1-2x a week in a specialist’s room
- usually group, but could be individual
What is the 3rd option after RtI has proven to be insufficient?
Placement in regular bilingual education or Sheltered English classroom with support from special education
What is the 4th option after RtI has proven to be insufficient?
Monolingual English special education classroom (hopefully with primary language support using a bilingual teacher, tutor, etc.)
What is the 5th option after RtI has proven to be insufficient?
Bilingual special education classroom
It is important to think_______.
Flexibly
What do we always have to keep in mind?
the possibility of poverty
In Elk Grove Unified describe the student demographics
Children from 80-90 different language groups were represented
many from low-income homes
In terms of legal considerations, what does IDEA say about students who speak more than one language?
they must be assessed in both the primary (first) language (L1) and English
To be diagnosed with a LI, what must the child show?
delays in BOTH the primary language and English in order to be diagnosed as having a language impairment
ELL student–True LI if difficulties in learning are in BOTH languages
is a student with age-appropriate L1 skills and low scores in English a candidate for special education?
NO!
What must we make teachers and administrators aware of?
the difference between a student with typical underlying language learning ability who needs more time and exposure to English (non special education) and the student who is truly LI (qualifies for special education).
What % of the population are ELL students?
ELLs make up about 11% of U.S. students
Because there is an increased focus on diverse students in our schools, what did the No Child Left Behind Act focus on?
Strong emphasis on achievement for low-income, diverse, ELL students
What does No Child Left Behind say?
- students with disabilities must participate in state accountability systems for reading and math in grades 3-8
- accommodations are allowed
- schools must show adequate annual progress toward all students being proficient in math and reading or face penalties
What does IDEA state about local education agencies?
local education agencies are allowed to eliminate the IQ achievement discrepancy gap that formerly was mandated in order to qualify students for many special education services
What is there a greater emphasis on because of IDEA?
a greater emphasis on pre-referral services
What may schools now use more funds for?
early intervention
What is there a special focus on (in the schools) because of IDEA?
on children in K-3 who don’t technically qualify for special education but who need additional support –ELLs too
What else is there a special focus on other than K-3 & ELLs?
on children who are having difficulty developing their basic reading skills, especially in the early grades
What does the law emphasize about a particular group of students (e.g., ELL students) if they are overrepresented in special education?
states will be required to provided coordinated, comprehensive, early intervention programs for these students
T/F
ELLs with LI will only have difficulty learning a second language
FALSE
they will have difficulty learning any language
difficulty with learning the first language and English
What does recent research define primary language impairment as?
- student has underlying language difficulties
- also have cognitive processing difficulties in 1)working memory 2) attention and 3) speed of processing
What three things do we need to do in intervention?
- improve language skills
- Work directly on improving cognitive processing skills
- Modify her environment using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
What does the Universal Design of Learning incorporate multiple means of?
- representation (visual, auditory, tactile, paper, digital)
- Expression (oral and written, web-based projects)
- Engagement (motivate students to sustain effort and maintain interest)
What is our ultimate goal?
- competent academic language skills (meeting Common Core State Standards)
- competent social skills
- personal fulfillment and vocational success
When an ELL student is placed into therapy, what is a major consideration?
the extent to which the student’s first language (L1) and English will be used in therapy
There are several factors to be considered when this decision is being made
What are the several factors to be considered when deciding to put an ELL student into therapy?
- first, what is the level of the student’s proficiency in L1 and English?
- Ideal: Support both L1 and English in therapy
- Especially beneficial to introduce new concepts in L1 first and reinforce them in English
What did Kohnert 2013 state about the overall purpose of intervention with bilingual students?
- the overall purpose of intervention with bilingual students who have LIs is to effect positive changes in both English and L1
- When home and school languages are different, students need to have access to the languages of their homes, schools, and larger community.
- Again, both L1 & English communication skills must be targeted in intervention.
What must we emphasize to all individuals involved with ELL students?
- Having a language impairment does not impede the child in being able to “handle” two languages
- Children with Special needs can and do become bilingual
What did Kay-Raining Bird et. al. say about bilingual children with Down Syndrome?
- Children with Down Syndrome growing up in a French-English bilingual environment were able to acquire two languages
- They had a similar number of vocabulary words compared to a monolingual English-speaking group of children with Down Syndrome
What did Seung, Siddiqui, and Elder (2006) study?
research with a Korean child with autism showed that learning Korean first had a positive impact on his rate of English acquisition
It also enabled him to continue his progress in Korean
What is a second factor that needs to be considered when deciding the language of intervention?
What language is used in the home?
If the student’s L1 is not reinforced or developed in the school
If the student’s L1 is not reinforced or developed in the school,what may happen?
the student may lose the ability to communicate effectively with family members
In today’s world, who are many children being cared for by? and what is a major consideration?
in today’s world, more children are being cared for by grandparents.
A major consideration to keep in mind is that if students can no longer effectively communicate with their grandparents (and other significant adults in their lives) a valuable relationship is negatively impacted
What is a third factor that impacts our choice for the language of intervention?
-What resources are available for conducting intervention in L1 as well as english?
What is it ideal for intervention?
for the SLP who is a fluent speaker of the student’s L1 to conduct intervention
Because the SLP is often a monolingual speaker of English, what is the ideal for the SLP then?
to work collaboratively with an interpreter or bilingual paraprofessional who speaks the child’s L1 fluently
What may we have to really work to find?
resources for helping us support students’ first languages
What is the additive approach?
- professionals do not discard their old curriculum, rather, they add to and expand the existing curriculum to take other cultures into account (in addition to the dominant culture)
- the basic structure of the curriculum is not altered
What can we use to foster cultural and ethnic pride as well as geographic knowledge?
Use maps of the U.S. and the world. Ask the students where their ancestors are from and if they know this information, find their countries of origin on a globe.
How can we show an interest in students’ home countries, languages, and cultures?
if students have lived in another country prior to coming to the U.S., or if they immigrate back and forth between their country and the U.S.,. Ask them questions about their home countries
Also ask them to teach some words in their languages. It is humbling, and the students love being the “teacher”
What should we try to convey as “cool”?
the belief that it is “cool” to speak a different language and to have lived in another country. Some students feel inferior about being bilingual and bicultural–what a shame! Being bilingual and bicultural is special, and we need to convey to students that as adults in the workforce, they will be especially desirable.
What do we absolutely need to make sure students know?
That they know you are there for them
emphasize to students that you want to help them succeed
Give special attention when possible
What do at-risk students need?
caring role models
these caring role models can show students, for example, why a higher education (beyond high school) can benefit them
What should we always encourage development and maintenance of?
the first or primary language
What do many ELL students profit from?
having a specially assigned peer buddy who speaks the same language as them
Again, what should we encourage use of?
the primary language; don’t ever discourage students from speaking their primary language
What is another way to represent various languages?
having signs in key areas
E.g., having “welcome” in different languages on signs in the front office
What do we need to make sure the environment represents? and how may we do this?
- make sure the environment represents diversity
- display objects and pictures representing various cultures
- create classroom bulletin boards that show diversity
- use intervention materials that represent various cultural and linguistic groups
What type of books should we provide to kids?
books written in different languages
In terms of fairy tales, how can we incorporate multiculturalism?
providing fairy tales from various cultural backgrounds (e.g., the Korean Cinderella)
How else can we incorporate multiculturalism?
- developing thematic units (e.g., Black history month, Cinco de Mayo, Chinese New Year, etc..)
- Teaching the entire group or class words, phrases, songs, in various languages
What can we use as culturally and linguistically diverse models?
biological sketches
(ex: Houghton Mifflin reader there was a story about Wilma Rudolph, an AA olympian in the 1900s. There was also a story about a Hispanic female astronaut. It is ideal if we can use stories such as this part of therapy and as part of the general education curriculum.)
We should ask parents to come and visit, what are some things they can do?
- they can wear native country dress, and talk about their cultures and customs
- For example, @ Mark’s school the Japanese grandma of one of the classmates did a Japanese dance.
What else can parents share?
food & recipes
e.g., One mom taught a preschool class how to use chopsticks, and chopsticks are now part of the play kitchen.
When do both mainstream and culturally and linguistically diverse students benefit?
when culturally and linguistically diverse materials and activities are an integral part of speech-language therapy activities and the curriculum of the general education classroom
