Category: English Language Learner (ELL)

An English Language Learner (ELL) is an individual who is learning English in addition to his or her native language. This can also be defined as any child who is exposed to another language or dialect to a point that significantly impacts English language development. For example, a child may speak Spanish at home, but learns English at school.

Writing Interventions: Form and Function of Writing (Part 3)

Leaders Project

Stephanie gives us some realistic strategies to use in writing interventions, both in the classroom and therapy room. Stephanie emphasizes the importance of ensuring that all students get adequate practice in using writing functionally. All too often students, especially those with significant disabilties, get stuck on activities that focus on form alone, such as tracing. This does not give students access to the broader world of writing.

Writing Interventions: Writing Disability Simulation (Part 2)

Leaders Project

For those of us who always excelled in language related tasks, at school or at work, it can be difficult to put yourself in the shoes of a child with a writing disability. This module provides a writing task that allows us to get an idea of what it might be like for  our students who struggle with a writing disability. After experiencing a simulation of the struggle our students experience all day, every day, in school hopefully we can be more sympathetic to that struggle and more effective in our planning and support of those students. Read More

Writing Interventions: What Makes Writing So Challenging for our Students? (Part 1)

Leaders Project

Writing requires our students to generate ideas, organize/plan, form the letters, remember spelling rules, and then order syntax and sequence in the appropriate manner. Stephanie reminds us that writing requires fine motor skills, executive functioning to plan, organize and pace as well as language skills for vocabulary and grammar. Stephanie asks us to consider where the break down could be occurring for  our students and figure out how to support them.

Reading Development Module (Playlist)

Leaders Project

This playlist of 8 modules presents information on typical reading developent, including information specifically for English Language Learner (ELL) and speech and language impaired (SLI) populations. Several issues surrounding literacy, including the role of the SLP in literacy, are examined. Finally, a vareity of intervention activities are demonstrated. See below for individual modules. Read More

Reading Development Module 8: Bilingual Considerations

Leaders Project

Stephanie Downey Toledo is a bilingual speech language pathologist in New York City as well as a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has collaborated with the LEADERS project on this module series and others.
It is important to distinguish between language difference and disorder. This holds true with reading. As SLPs it is important to consider whether a student’s reading development is being impeded by a disability or a language difference. What are the main factors affecting student success? Is it a difference in literacy instruction or content/ background knowledge? What has the student’s language acquisition looked like in both languages? How might socio-economic and cultural status be affecting reading development? When possible, we should support bilingual reading development.