Distinguishing Language Acquisition From Learning Disabilities

April 24, 2014

When ELLs Are StrugglingWeaknesses and Strengths?

Progress of Other Students in Class

Progress of Other ELLs in Class

When ELLs Are StrugglingMajority of ELLs are making little progress?

• Teacher should focus on improving instruction.

Most ELLs are doing well; only a few struggling?

• Teacher should look more closely at what is going on with those individual students

• Consider what additional support they may need.

Guiding Questions?

• When a student is struggling, observe in the classroom.– Are the student’s true peers succeeding?– Is the instruction targeted to and appropriate for

the English proficiency level and the needs of the student?

– Is the teacher modifying instruction and assessments appropriately?

– Is the classroom environment conducive to learning?

Monitoring the Learning Environment

• Learning environment reflects the sociocultural process of language and content learning.

• Learning experiences connect to relevant issues in ELLs’ lives.

• Learning experiences connect to ELLs personal, cultural, language, and world experiences.

• ELLs are provided with opportunities to work in pairs and small groups.

More Monitoring of the Learning Environment

• Group work activities engage ELLs in multiple opportunities to apply the language.

• Learning environment reflects the developmental process of language and content learning.

• Whole class activities reflect the specific English proficiency levels of ELLs.

• The paired and small group activities reflect the specific English proficiency levels of ELLs.

And Even More Monitoring of the Learning Environment

• Homework assignments match ELLs current levels of English proficiency and provide additional practice opportunities for what occurred in class.

• Content and language objectives are visibly displayed in clear, simple, student-friendly language.

• ELLs’ understanding is routinely checked.• Key terms, words, idioms, and phrases that ELLs

need to learn are clearly displayed. (with visuals that have meaning)

Next Steps

• Has the child’s background been considered? (Cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, experiential?)

• Have authentic assessments and progress monitoring been implemented?

• What can the student do? In what contexts?• Does the student differ from true peers in rate and

level of learning?• What input have parents had? What can they add

to the picture?

Identifying Students With LD

• When students have participated in targeted interventions and still do not seem to be progressing, the team may decide that a comprehensive evaluation is needed.

• What do they know in their Home Language vs what they know in English?