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Resources to differentiate ESL Needs vs. Learning Difficulties

Article:

Determining Appropriate Referrals of English Language Learners to Special Education by Samson & Lesaux (2015)

Key Tools to differentiate second language acquisition from learning difficulties:

https://www.colorincolorado.org/school-support/special-education-and-english-language-learners

Academic Screening Charts:

https://intensiveintervention.org/

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Resources

1. Reading and Literacy:

ReadWorks (https://www.readworks.org/)

Newsela (https://www.newsela.com/)

Raz Kids (https://www.raz-kids.com/)

Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/)

2. Writing & Spelling

Grammarly for Education (https://www.grammarly.com/edu)

Storybird (https://storybird.com/)

Handwriting Without Tears (https://www.lwtears.com/)

3. Behavioral Issues

Understood.org (https://www.understood.org/)

Zones of Regulation (https://zonesofregulation.com/)

ClassDojo (https://www.classdojo.com/)

4. Social-Emotional Learning

Second Step (https://www.secondstep.org/)

Smiling Mind (https://www.smilingmind.com.au/)

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Addressing Behavioral Concerns

When behavioral issues arise, we document incidents and patterns through classroom observations and report from other subject teachers. If behaviors are persistent and disruptive, we reach out our school's student support team. A school psychologists are invited to observe the student in the classroom and provide preliminary diagnosis.

Following the observations, we share the findings with the student's parents and guardians. Also, we communicate the importance of seeking further evaluation and medical support.

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Providing Academic Support and Intervention

For students experiencing academic challenges, my teaching assistant and I implement a variety of support strategies including:

-First language support mostly from my TA

-One-on-one, or a small group instruction

-Differentiated learning materials based on learning level and needs

-Social-emotional support from counseling

We also collaborate with other subject teachers to share strategies and coordinate intervention efforts. If a student is a recent transfer or performing significantly below grade level, we work together with ESL specialist who provides targeted in-class support during scheduled sessions.

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Differentiating between ELL and Learning Disabilities

We access when the student was first introduced to the second language and how long they have been exposed to it.

First, we examine whether the similar struggles are present when the student uses their first language. Then, we compare error patterns to those typical ELL learners. Unusual or inconsistent errors may indicate a potential learning disability. Next, we track students' progress over time. If gains are consistently made with language support, difficulties are maybe language-related. However, limited progress is made despite targeted intervention, a learning disability is suspected.

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Identification Through Observation and Collaboration

The process begins with ongoing observation of students’ academic performance, behavior, and classroom engagement. My teaching assistant and I keep detailed behavioral logs and notes on academic struggles. When concerns arise, we consult with other subject-area teachers to determine whether similar difficulties or behavioral patterns are present across multiple learning environments. This helps us build a clearer, more consistent picture of the student’s needs.