FOUNDATIONS OF

INTERVENTION

I. INCREASING FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN I. INCREASING FAMILY INVOLVEMENT IN STUDENTS’ LEARNINGSTUDENTS’ LEARNING

Some educators tell parents to “speak only Some educators tell parents to “speak only English at home”**English at home”**• Because they believe that an Because they believe that an

ELL child with a LI will be ELL child with a LI will be confused by a dual language confused by a dual language environment. However, environment. However, research has shown that this is research has shown that this is not true.not true.

• Children with LI can and do Children with LI can and do learn 2 languages effectively; learn 2 languages effectively; being bilingual is not a being bilingual is not a disadvantagedisadvantage

• If a child is cut off from one of If a child is cut off from one of his languages, it can have a his languages, it can have a negative impact in many areas negative impact in many areas as we said before. as we said before.

If a child is cut off from his If a child is cut off from his home language, this…home language, this…

I tell parents…**I tell parents…**

• That being That being bilingualbilingual is a is a great advantage great advantage in in today’s worldtoday’s world

• That if their child can grow up bilingual, she will That if their child can grow up bilingual, she will be quite be quite valuablevaluable in the in the job marketjob market

: Parents of children who speak a minority language should be encouraged to use this language at home**

Here in the U.S., we as professionals routinely Here in the U.S., we as professionals routinely expect families to be involved in their expect families to be involved in their children’s learning**children’s learning**• Some cultures: school and related activities are Some cultures: school and related activities are

the responsibility of professionals— the responsibility of professionals— families families should not interfereshould not interfere

• Thus, families may be Thus, families may be offendedoffended at being asked at being asked to to participateparticipate in educational decisions, in educational decisions, carryover activities, etc. carryover activities, etc.

• Cultural mediators** Cultural mediators**

• Help families Help families realize that in the realize that in the U.S., they are U.S., they are expected to be an expected to be an integral integral partpart of the of the educational educational team. team.

Remember that in some cultures**Remember that in some cultures**• SLPs may have better success engaging the SLPs may have better success engaging the

support of support of older siblings older siblings for things like for things like carryover of homework assignments.carryover of homework assignments.

• Also, parents and grandparents may speak Also, parents and grandparents may speak little-no English. Older siblings usually do little-no English. Older siblings usually do speak English, and can be most helpful in speak English, and can be most helpful in assisting with assisting with homework assignments homework assignments and and other carryover activitiesother carryover activities..

We can help families become more We can help families become more involved in their children’s learning and involved in their children’s learning and schooling…**schooling…**• Through the use of the services of cultural Through the use of the services of cultural

mediators as mentioned. mediators as mentioned.

• We can also We can also meetmeet with parents at the with parents at the school site school site or conduct home visits.or conduct home visits.

• During these visits, it is helpful to show samples of During these visits, it is helpful to show samples of their children’s work as well as their children’s work as well as pictures of their pictures of their children involved in school activities.children involved in school activities.

We can help parents understand what U.S. We can help parents understand what U.S. schools expect of them and their schools expect of them and their children**children**• Parents need to understand the Parents need to understand the

academic/ academic/ curricular standards curricular standards of of their children’s schools.their children’s schools.

• If parents can If parents can volunteervolunteer in their in their children’s classrooms, they will children’s classrooms, they will understand understand the demands of the the demands of the curriculum much better. curriculum much better.

Parents and students need to Parents and students need to understand basic school understand basic school routines**routines**

• For example, many parents don’t know that For example, many parents don’t know that they need to they need to send a lunch send a lunch to school with their to school with their child or send money so their child can buy a child or send money so their child can buy a lunch. lunch.

• Immigrant students may not realize that if they Immigrant students may not realize that if they get a hall pass to go to the bathroom, they get a hall pass to go to the bathroom, they need to come right back to class. It is not need to come right back to class. It is not acceptable to stop and spend ½ hour on the acceptable to stop and spend ½ hour on the playground!playground!

Remember that some parents are Remember that some parents are non-literate in English…non-literate in English…

I started a literacy program called LoveTalkRead**• lovetalkread.com

• We have collected over117,000 books to give to low-income and

diverse families

We encourage them to daily love, talk to, and read with their children

Encourage students to read to their Encourage students to read to their parents in English**parents in English**• This helps develop students’ literacy skills.This helps develop students’ literacy skills.

• Many Many parents want parents want to to learn Englishlearn English, and , and they are helped by hearing their children read they are helped by hearing their children read to them in English.to them in English.

Research (Ron Gillam) was conducted:

Teach parents to CARE:

Youtube video on CARE** Youtube channel Celeste Roseberry

Intervention for ELLs: Increasing Preliteracy Skills Through CARE and Wordless Books

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNPWL-WCp98

Help parents find out**Help parents find out**• About About locallocal adult literacy adult literacy servicesservices

and English classes.and English classes.

• For example, For example, English classes English classes are are often offered at night through local often offered at night through local educational agencies.educational agencies.

Many families are surviving…**Many families are surviving…**• Keep assignments short and simple.Keep assignments short and simple.

• When we do give homework, it needs to only take When we do give homework, it needs to only take a a few minutes few minutes to do, and it needs to be to do, and it needs to be understandable to families.understandable to families.

• I often tell the student what needs to be done, I often tell the student what needs to be done, make sure she has a parent sign the assignment, make sure she has a parent sign the assignment, and offer a and offer a sticker sticker or small prize for or small prize for returning itreturning it. .

Help parents understand the relevance of Help parents understand the relevance of talking to infants and small children**talking to infants and small children**

In many cultures, infants and young children In many cultures, infants and young children are not considered conversational partners**are not considered conversational partners**• Many cultures Many cultures value quietness value quietness in childrenin children

• Thus, they may receive a great deal of love Thus, they may receive a great deal of love and affection, but language stimulation may and affection, but language stimulation may not be occurring at a level expected by not be occurring at a level expected by mainstream society.mainstream society.

• When a currently-recommended Western When a currently-recommended Western practice (e.g., reading to or talking with practice (e.g., reading to or talking with children) is not found in a particular culture, children) is not found in a particular culture, we can recommend we can recommend “functional “functional equivalents.”equivalents.”

Lastly, emphasize children’s good Lastly, emphasize children’s good qualities….**qualities….**

• When I work with parents (or other caretakers), I When I work with parents (or other caretakers), I discuss the child’s discuss the child’s good, polite behaviorgood, polite behavior (if this (if this indeed the case!).indeed the case!).

• Families from many cultures highly value Families from many cultures highly value courtesy, obedience, and cooperativeness in courtesy, obedience, and cooperativeness in childrenchildren

• If I can If I can emphasize the positiveemphasize the positive, families are , families are often more willing to often more willing to cooperatecooperate in carrying out in carrying out their children’s treatment plans.their children’s treatment plans.

Remember…

II. HOLISTIC STRATEGIES APPROACH

Components of the Holistic Strategies Approach

On exam

III. STRAEGIES FOR MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL AND LINGUISTIC

ENVIRONMENT FOR ELL STUDENTS WITH LI

1. Limit clutter and distractions in the environment** Classrooms today have multiple auditory and

visual stimuli. The phone rings, people come in and out, and the walls and ceilings are often covered with art projects—very distracting

Use the office

2. Do not give important information when the room is noisy.**

Students often have difficulty with figure-ground ability, or the ability to “pick out” the professional’s voice from other auditory stimuli.

Even typically-developing ELL students may have extra difficulty if there is a poor signal-to-noise ratio and the teacher is speaking rapidly using decontextualized language that is so typical of classrooms.

Listening conditions in the classroom need to be favorable.**

Processing information in L2 under less-than-ideal conditions is a risk factor for ELLs with LI

In some places, teachers are using FM units that make them 20-30 decibels louder; research shows that children perform better when the teacher’s voice is amplified. This is especially true of ELL students with LI.

3. Make good seating arrangements in classroom settings:** Seat speakers of the same language

together. In this way, they can provide assistance to each other, using L1 for support in learning academic content.

ELL students with LI need to sit close to the front of the classroom.

4. Use Preparatory Sets** Always begin an activity or

therapy session with a preparatory set

Make sure the students know what is ahead

For example: “We will do the calendar, math, and then clean up and go to recess. So—calendar, math, and recess.”

In this way, students know the “layout” and are prepared for what will follow.

5. Slow down your rate of speech.**

Students benefit if we pause frequently to give them processing time. Research shows that LI students process more slowly than typically-developing students.

LI students—especially those who are ELLs—profit when professionals slow down and pause more often.

6. Do a great deal of review—repeat information and rephrase it.**

It is estimated that the average, monolingual English-speaking adult forgets 95% of what he heard within 72 hours of hearing it.

ELL students with LI benefit from hearing information repeated and reviewed often.

Rephrasing is helpful. For example:

“There are 8 planets in the solar system. The earth is one of the planets closest to the sun. – The earth, one of 8 planets in the solar system, is close to the sun.”

7. Emphasize content words through increased volume and stress.** Research has shown that LI students lack the

ability to identify the “big” words, or content words and separate them out from the smaller words (function words).

Increasing the auditory salience of content words through increased volume and stress can support low-SES ELL students with LI. For example:

“The ocean is a source of life for our planet. The ocean provides food, water, and other things that are important.”

8. Give extra processing time.

9. Use a multimodal approach to instruction and intervention—Universal Design of Learning**

See, hear, touch to fully learn and retain material.

U.S.--auditory modality. We expect students to hear things once and remember them.

10. Incorporate movement and movement breaks

MOVEMENT BREAK!**

Cross crawls from Brain Gym—designed to increase communication between the right and left hemisphere

Wake up the brain!

How did you like this cute PPt background?** Turn to the people next to you and describe

how you felt having to take notes from these slides

IV. PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR A VARIETY OF SETTINGS** These can be used in therapy rooms (e.g.,

pull-out), learning centers, and general education classrooms

Have students journal**

About their experiences or about pre-planned subjects

Have the students…**

Engage in drama and role-playing activities in order to encourage expressive language and social interaction skills.

Costumes and puppets help if they are shy!

So do karaoke machines and microphones

With regard to notetaking, students often need to be explicitly taught to:

For example, students can underline or highlight the key/content words in sentences. **

The weather is hot in the summer.

Abraham Lincoln was a president of the United States.

Many people think that dogs are man’s best friend.

When they learn to do this, they can then be taught to take notes, writing down just the key/content words.

Use visualization to help students form pictures of information that they read or hear. **

Tell them that they can picture a TV in their brain/mind/head; when they hear or read things, they can make pictures on this TV.

Help them with this process by beginning with familiar items in their homes (pet, sibling, living room). For example, I will ask a student to tell me about his dog. When he has done so, I will tell him that his dog is not present; he was able to describe the dog by using a picture in his brain.

I have found that…** Students especially benefit from visualizing, or

making pictures in their brain as an adjunct to reading or listening. Visualizing helps information to be retained better, thus aiding in listening and reading comprehension.

Youtube video**

Youtube Channel Celeste Roseberry

Go to Intervention for ELLs with Language Impairment: Using Visualization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcaeY7McXrQ

Use Total Physical Response (TPR)**

Clinician: touch your chin (clinician alone does this)

Clinician: touch your chin (clinician and children do this together)

Clinician: touch your chin (children alone carry out the command)

TPR is an excellent strategy especially for LI students who are in the early stages of learning English