Distinguishing Between Language Acquisition and Learning Disabilities Among English Language Learners

Malden Public SchoolsDr. Margaret Adams

Jennifer McCabe M.E.d.Mary Margaret Almonte MAT ESL

Objectives

Participants will:• Identify key issues and concerns in

determining a language difference from a disability in ELLs.

• Identify language assessment information needed for determining a disability.

• Discuss several case studies of ELLs experience difficulty.

Agenda

• Context of the Problem: Discussion from text. • Myths of Second Language Acquisition • Learning Disabilities in ELLs • Response to Intervention • Language Assessment • Case Studies

ELLs and Demographics pg. 6

• Margaret has a ppt. with statistics from Malden

Demographic Changes

• From 1979-2003 the number of students who spoke a language other than English at home grew from 3.8 million to 9.9 million.

• From 1990-2003 the school-aged population increased 19%

• The number of children who spoke a language other than English at home increased 161%

ELL Students in Public Schools

• Over 6,000,000 ELL students in U.S. Schools• By 2020, 40% of all public school students will

be ELLs

LEP Students in Massachusetts SchoolsMarch 2005

Language Number %Spanish 27,249 54.6

Portuguese 4,645 9.3

Khmer 2,058 4.1

Creole (Haitian) 1,977 4.0

Vietnamese 1,724 3.5

Chinese 1,593 3.2

Cape Verdean 1,367 2.7

Russian 916 1.8

Canton Dialect 653 1.3

Arabic 591 1.2

Korean 429 0.9

ELLs and Disproportionate Representation pg. 9

Disproportionate representation refers to “unequal populations of culturally diverse students in special education” {Klinger 2008}

The major concern is about disproportionate

representation focus on the “judgemental” categories of special education.

Effective teaching practices for ELLs

How do we modify our teaching to provide linguistically and culturally diverse children access to the curriculum?

(Turn and Talk)

The Evolving Learning Disabilities Category pg. 11-14

Concept of Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Research evidence supports the validity of SLD as an intrinsic disorder of learning cognition

Research on ELLs with Learning Disabilities pg. 15

Legal Provisions Affecting English Language Learners (ELLs)With and Without Special Needs

Legal provisions affecting English Language Learners (ELL/CLD) with and without Special Needs in the USA ensure that these studnets receive a free and appropriate public education. Ortiz & Yates, 2001 (as cited in Artiles and Ortiz, 2002) point out that, given the current legislation, schools should put into place the following practices:

1. Prevention and early intervention services to avert unnecessary special education referrals. [Please refer to Responseto Intervention(RTI)]

2. Referral processes that distinguish struggling learners from students who are likely to have disabilities. (please see: www.literacymalden.wikispaces.com for RTI reources)

3. Assessments conducted by qualified bilingual evaluators who: use instruments and procedures appropriate for English language learners; provide accurate data about native language and English language performance; identify modifications of instruction, methods, and materials needed for both native language and English as a second language instruction; and provide data to rule out such factors as limited English proficiency, cultural differences, economic status, and opportunity to learn as the causes of learning problems. Assessments to look for: Pre-LAS, IPT Oral, Reading Writing, MEPA, MELA-O)

4.SST or TAT: Multidisciplinary teams made up of experts in the education of English language learners and in assessment and placement alternatives; interpreters for non-English-speaking parents, and administrators to ensure that needed bilingual special education programs and services are provided

IEPs that are culturally and linguistically relevant and that describe the extent to which students will participate in native language support.M.SERPA http://www.ldldproject.net/legal.html

Stages of Language Acquisition

AdvancedFluency

Second Language Learners

• Second language learners are doing twice the cognitive work of native speakers during reading instruction because they are

• Acquiring new literacy concepts and skills• Attending to the sounds, meanings, and

structures of a new language.

Oral Language Phonological Awareness

Oral language and phonological awareness are key to the development of reading, and because

Sounds in L1 transfer to L2 Sounds in L2 that are not part of the

phonology of L1 oral language development and phonological/ phonemic awareness are critical components for the second language learner.

Vocabulary development

• Vocabulary development refers to the knowledge of stored information about the meanings and pronunciations of words necessary for communication.

• Vocabulary development is important for beginning reading in that when a student comes to a word and sounds it out, he or she is also determining if the word makes sense based on his or her understanding of the word.

Struggling ELL Readers

• Vocabulary development is also a primary determinant of reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand the content of what they are reading unless they understand the meaning of the majority of words in the text.

• Vocabulary development is one of the greatest challenges to reading instruction for ELLs, because in order to read fluently and comprehend what is written, students need to use not just phonics, but context.

Assessment of ELLs usingResponse to Intervention (RTI)

Response to intervention is a proposed

comprehensive model of instruction that includes model of instruction both regular and special education

Resources

• www.literacymalden.wikispaces.com• http://maldenells.wikispaces.com/Language+

Diff.+vs.+Disability

• http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/smu/view/e/4687?0930Up/date