Some examples of how this gap might appear in the classroom include:

Every kid is bound to miss an assignment once in a while, but if a student routinely fails to turn in her homework it’s time to take a closer look at what’s going on.

For many kids who struggle with the stigma of learning differently, finding out that other kids they like and respect also struggle with learning issues boosts self-esteem and helps bust stigma. 

Speak up about your learning issues. Do it loudly and often. Don’t be scared. You won’t be sorry.

As a parent though, you don’t need to be a time traveler to help your kids develop the confidence to advocate for themselves. Just pass the message on. You’ll be giving them the tools they need for a brighter, better future.

When a child is identified by Child Find as possibly having a disability and as needing special education, parents may be asked for permission to evaluate their child. Parents can also call the Child Find office and ask that their child be evaluated.

ELLs bring unique skills, gifts, and talents to the classroom. They often have rich background experiences, different perspectives, and the ability to navigate between multiple languages and cultures. They may also have sophisticated social-emotional skills (such as being tuned in to body language and tone of voice). 

The length of the silent period when learning a new language depends on several factors. The richness of the student’s language instruction and interaction in the classroom both matter. Students’ confidence and whether they’re being encouraged to take risks are key, too. 

Even students who understand much of what they hear may still speak in short phrases or remain silent if they are not specifically engaged or don’t feel welcome to participate in the classroom. 

After class, the bilingual colleague explains to the kindergarten teacher that “maestra” is the Spanish word for “teacher.” 

This scenario is a clear example in which a student is succeeding, even though it doesn’t look like success to the teacher. At first, it looked as though the student was struggling with phonemic awareness, which can be a sign of a learning disability. 

With the support of her colleague, the teacher was able to recognize that the student understood what was being asked of him, but didn’t know enough English yet to say all the words he understood. 

However, some schools may provide special education services to these students with the assumption that it will provide at least some help. This is often because special education services are designed to meet an individual student’s needs and provide supports that may not be available in the general education classroom. It can also happen because there are certain strategies that support both students who need specially designed instruction and English language learners. 

ELLs have specific language, literacy, and academic needs. They need exposure to a rich language environment and scaffolded support that matches their level of language proficiency. Like all students, they also need access to the same rigorous curriculum as their peers. (Ideally, they will also have some level of academic support in their native language in order to tap into existing content knowledge and prior experiences.)

One of the most common reasons for underidentification is the use of subjective policies that determine when to test an ELL student for special education services. Many of these policies are put in place to avoid overidentification. But this can result in overcorrection, leading to students not getting the help they need in a timely manner.