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English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities
This free webcast is available online anytime.
It is made possible by AFT Teachers, a division of the American Federation of Teachers, as part of a Colorín Colorado partnership between AFT and Reading Rockets.
Featuring Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan discussing effective assessment and instruction strategies for English language learners with learning disabilities.
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Program description
Featuring bilingual speech-language pathologist Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan. This webcast discusses effective assessment and instruction strategies for English language learners with learning disabilities, as well as ways to help encourage the active involvement of parents of ELLs with LD in their children's schools.
Moderator
Delia Pompa is the moderator of this webcast. She is the Vice President of the Center for Community Educational Excellence, at the National Council of La Raza.
Presenter
Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, TX, and the author of Esperanza Program, a Spanish multi-sensory reading, writing, and spelling program. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan was co-principal investigator of a longitudinal study funded by NICHD and IES examining the oral skills and literacy development in both English and Spanish of Spanish-speaking children. She is a founding member of Brownsville Reads, a nonprofit organization offering literacy awareness and training to educators, parents, and members of the community.
Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Leadership Texas. She serves on the State Board of Examiners for Speech Language Pathology and Audiology and is a member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and the International Dyslexia Society.
Recommended readings
Articles and books by our presenter
Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan
- Biliteracy Instruction for Spanish-Speaking Students chapter in Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills
- The Cross-Linguistic Transfer of Early Literacy Skills: The Role of Initial L1 and L2 Skills and Language of Instruction
- Effectiveness of a Spanish Intervention and an English Intervention for English-Language Learners at Risk for Reading Problems (2.3M PDF)*
Other readings
- Teaching English-Language Learners with Learning Difficulties
- What Is Comprehensible Input?
- Special Issue: Learning Disabilities Research and Practice
- Special Issue: Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
- Tips for Teachers of Language-Minority Students
- The ELL Outlook
- English Language Learners With Special Needs: Effective Instructional Strategies
- Helping Children From Other Cultures With Possible Learning Disabilities
Related links from Learning Media
From Colorín Colorado
- Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities (executive summary)
- What's 'Normal,' What's Not: Acquiring English as a Second Language
- Improving Mathematics Problem Solving Skills for English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities
- Bilingual Students With Disabilities Get Special Help
- English Language Learners with Special Needs: Effective Instructional Strategies
- Early Reading Intervention for English Language Learners At-Risk for Learning Disabilities: Student and Teacher Outcomes in an Urban School
- Colorín Colorado's Research and Reports: Learning Disabilities
From LD OnLine
- Learning Disabilities in English Language Learners
- Improving Mathematics Problem Solving Skills for English language learners with Learning Disabilities
- Effective Reading Instruction for Struggling Spanish-Speaking Readers: A Combination of Two Literatures
- A Guide to Learning Disabilities for the ESL Classroom Practitioner
From Reading Rockets
Discussion questions
- Share something that you learned from the webcast that was new to you. Then, talk about ways you see yourself using that information within your school setting.
- How does your school work to identify and teach ELL students with LD? After listening to Dr. Cardenas-Hagan, what changes might you propose?
- Describe the challenges your school would face in trying to assess students in both languages.
- From what you heard today, how does effective instruction for ELL learners with LD differ from just plain effective instruction for all students?
- Besides this webcast, what types of professional development would help you work with the ELL learner with LD population more successfully?
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‡ This clip will appear in Windows Media Player, which most computers already have installed, or you can download it now.
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