Week 2: July 7-13

Core Curriculum Unlocking the Foundations of Reading
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  1. Reflect on the seven specific suggestions provided for teachers of reading classes with ELLs. How practical and feasible are these suggestions in real classroom contexts?

My short answer to this question is that many of the suggestions are NOT feasible in a real classroom.

Thinking about the schools that I have been involved in, many of the seven specific suggestions provided could be difficult to execute in a real classroom. One thing that needs to be considered is that students who are English Learners are not all coming with the same language background. To support and employ the varied suggestions, a Reading teacher, even with an ELL teacher’s support, would need to have background knowledge, not only in the language of each specific student, but their culture as well. It is important to also note that students who are English Learners are more than likely not getting support with learning to read in the English language at home.

Considering the seven suggestions and potential barriers I offer the following:

  1. Provide additional work on English phonemes that are not present in the students’ native language.

Barrier: not having a full understanding of the student’s native language and language structure, this would be difficult to achieve. Students who are English Learners come with diverse native languages.

  1. If students are literate in their native language, focus on differences between that language and English, with less attention given to elements that will transfer.

Barrier: This barrier is in line with the previous barrier listed. A reading teacher cannot be expected to be proficient in several languages. Depending on the student’s native language, it could be difficult for a teacher to even assess if the student could be considered to be literate.

  1. Provide extra practice in reading words, sentences, and stories.

This would not have as much of a barrier. A teacher who teaches reading could create practice stories (words and sentences) based on something from the child’s culture or concepts familiar to the child (such as their family members). The readings should be paired with pictures to allow the child to make a connection between the written word and the picture.

  1. Use cognate words in the native language as synonyms when teaching vocabulary.

Barrier: a teacher who is responsible for teaching reading may not have enough knowledge of a student’s native language to be able to correctly congregate. In addition, there is also a concern of the student’s knowledge of reading in their native language

  1. Identify and clarify difficult words and passages.

The barrier here would be related to steps that can be taken to support understanding of difficult words and passages. Depending on the teacher’s understanding of the child’s culture, some previous experience can be used to help clarify difficult passages.

  1. Consolidate knowledge of the text through the use of summaries.

This suggestion would be possible when the student understands English to a level where they can make sense of a summary given. This can tie back to previous experience or building upon the student’s conceptual knowledge through pictures, 3-D images, sound, etc.

  1. Find appropriate ways to use the native language.

Barrier: A teacher may not have the skills needed to understand and use a student’s native language.

When considering each of the suggestions listed above, many of the suggestions are not feasible unless a teacher has a foundational knowledge of the student’s native language. It is again important to realize that students who are English Language Learners have different backgrounds, cultures, and most importantly, have speak different native languages. It would be difficult to employ many of the strategies listed which include using a child’s native language as part of the learning experience.

There is no question that there can be significant barriers for students who are English Learners learning to read using the English language.

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I appreciate your suggestions for recommendations for students who have Dyslexia but am concerned as to who is should be responsible to make appropriate recommendations and who will follow up to assess if the recommendations are supporting the child.
As vision teachers we are often faced with challenges for students who are struggling to read. Many teachers or district administrators want it to be a vision related issue. The concern is what happens when we can demonstrate, through a solid assessment, that the issue is not related to vision. In one of my districts, we have to suggest that a certain battery of cognitive tests are given in order to test for Dyslexia. If nothing else, we can help a family in identifying what might be the cause of the child’s reading issues. My heart too goes out for these families. They are looking for answers or at least someone who wants to help them find answers.
To add to your recommendations for speech to text and text to speech, Dyslexia is a recognized disability for individuals to qualify for Bookshare. This is more a FYI.

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Hi Virginia,
You hit the nail on the head regarding generational poverty and families with a lower socioeconomic status. I feel like everything that you mentioned about families’ lack of engagement with social services, specifically early intervention, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Does Vermont support universal preschool? My state does not and school is not compulsory until age 7. I have worked with students who lack exposure to many of the skills that are required for success in Kindergarten. Thank you for sharing some helpful strategies for family engagement! I agree that building trusting relationships is key. ~Lacey

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Teacher expectations are key for motivating students. By having expectations of our students, we are confirming that they have the ability to meet those expectations. I appreciate that you work with your students to determine goals. Having student part of the process gives ownership over their actions and involvement in learning. I also love that you let them choose the reward for achieving their goals. Through your expectations of your students, you set them up for success.

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Hi Patricia,
I thought you did a nice job of outlining the barriers for each of the seven specific suggestions. I agree that it is daunting for teachers to try and understand students’ native language, language structure, and culture when large school districts often have students who are English learners from many different countries.

The school district that I contract with has had a huge influx of families from Puerto Rico in the last few years. They have hired several social workers and liaisons in addition to the professionals working closely with the district’s Native American families to help bridge the cultural gap. ~Lacey

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What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners? (Reading Rockets, ND)

  1. Reflect on the seven specific suggestions provided for teachers of reading classes with ELLs. How practical and feasible are these suggestions in real classroom contexts

I am a certified ENL teacher, along with my other certifications, and I find at a certain age it is extremely hard to teach reading skills to ENL students. During the summer, I teach ENL in a special education school, and when the students are older with little language I become overwhelmed.

As the article suggested that teachers hone in one skills: phonemes, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and the most difficult for ELLS- comprehension. These are the components of the Wilson’s Reading System, which is a lengthy program. The most difficult thing that makes these programs not practical is when the students are in upper grades, there is not enough time to put this in a classroom progrma and students tend to be needed to pull out. However, I have found in elementary grade students, pulling the students who need the intensive instruction, they tend to do better. The problem comes down to time and there isn’t enough time in the day. So when we have high schoolers who can’t read, they will be pulled from a content area. The science of reading programs that follow a systematic approach are great, however it isn’t able to be combined with on level course work which the student would be meeting.

Some takeaways that can be done inside a classroom:

  • Repeated readings to improve fluency
  • Breaking words apart- maybe doing a root of the day, or prefix a day
  • Using familiar words in different contexts
  • Providing enough visuals and graphs

However, there are some unfeasible suggestions that could be used inside a classroom context (specifically the older students)

  • Additional phonic support
  • Various levels of the student’s vocabulary knowledge
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Promoting Emergent Literacy Skills** (JVIB, 2018, p. 542-550)

  1. How might the cultural background or socioeconomic status of families impact their ability to implement the suggested strategies for promoting emergent literacy in toddlers with visual impairments?

I enjoyed reading this article because I also have a background in early literacy for birth to 3 and 3 to 5-year-old children with disabilities. Early literacy is the key to reading and writing, especially if a child has a suspected disability. Students without disabilities in varying cultural and/or socioeconomical backgrounds are vulnerable to falling behind or slipping through the cracks of literacy/reading. Students with disabilities are the most vulnerable without high exposure to early intervention literacy experiences.
In my experience, the impact of families experiencing low socioeconomical hardship seemed to focus more on the day-to-day necessities of the child’s basic needs, which is quite understandable. Cultural differences depended on the specific culture as to what parents were most concerned about in respect to their child’s education. I encountered a Vietnamese family who spoke English. The child was the last of eleven. Mom did not want to “let go” because he was the baby. Mom often told me the child needed her “more.” He had autism (undiagnosed) and did not have language at that time. I had begged mom to let me have him in an all-day setting (Preschool Intervention Program was ½ day am/pm) because he enrolled in December and would be going to kindergarten the following year. Long story short, by May that child was talking. Mom came to me and said, “You make him talk, he tell me- You do it momma!” Preschool really did not have a curriculum and I researched until I found Read It To Me Once Again Early Literacy Program, (https://www.readitonceagain.com/). We read all the Mother Goose rhymes, all the level 1 curriculum books (foundation, Brown Bear Brown Bear, 3 Little Pigs, etc.) and participated in so many tactile activities to bring full meaning to literacy. The impact was phenomenal, and this child’s mom remembers me to this day. By the end of the month the children were reading the books independently (not always word for word, but their language increased considerably, and they comprehended the story). At the end of the month students had a copy of each book to take home as their own (books were handmade by students or handmade by teachers). This was a time when teachers could “teach” and did not have to complete so much paperwork.
The next year a 3-year-old deaf child from Mexico transferred into the district and did not speak Spanish nor English. The district at that time did not provide interpreters but I insisted on getting a Spanish teacher from the local high school. I continued to use the curriculum and immersed the students in a rich literacy-language environment along with make and take activities based on books. This child’s parent did not have books at home, and I was able to locate a school counselor who helped the family get to the library (Spanish teacher would meet the family at the library) to read/check out books. It really made all the difference. The only struggle was mom needed to learn English.
In closing, it is my responsibility as a TVI to empower families to implement strategies to help promote emergent literacy in toddlers with visual impairments. As a TVI, it is my responsibility to be a resource to families that may struggle in this area. It is my responsibility to model for parents how to be purposeful and intentional in increasing literary experiences/activities in varied degrees of learning (tactile, verbal, motoric, etc.). It does not take large sums of money to teach our young children early literacy skills. I used pie pans, wooden kitchen utensils, pom-poms, etc. I taught the parents what to do with the items students brought home weekly and those children really flourished. Many of these children have graduated from high school.
Pamela Joyner
2024 Reading Cohort

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I loved your concept of “rose, bud, and thorn!” In the abstract from Instructional Strategies Professional Learning - “High expectations boost learning–if we learn how to show them.” There are some “Do’s and Don’ts” provided in the abstract and one stood out for me that sounds like what you’re doing. “Do create a warm classroom environment. In high-expectation classrooms, the emotional climate is caring and nonthreatening. There’s an emphasis on knowing each child well and developing a positive relationship with them. High-expectation teachers are emotionally responsive and use respectful, caring language with all their students. Because these teachers use a proactive approach to potential problematic behaviors, they spend less time reprimanding, repeating directions, and reteaching procedures.” Your examples of how you use the “rose, bud, thorn” concept was very helpful. For me there is a visual picture that can go along with the concept and how watching the bud grow into that beautiful rose and yet being careful when we don’t tend to the rose how the thorns may give us problems. As the student learns to read and blossoms into a wonderful reader with great comprehension, those thorns might interfere with their goals if the student doesn’t tend to his/her reading.

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@Forehandc
I live in a rural area and many of my parents focused on just living. Often there were not developmentally appropriate books in the home (I worked in Preschool Intervention and as an Interventionist). I had to buy or make books or look through the cabinets for tinfoil pans or pots, etc. Parents of babies were very receptive and would express their gratitude for the help. For some parents, these tools became a means for a mom to make a phone call or take a short break. Parents have tools but are often not aware that they can use household items. I had a blind baby (very surprising to me), and I used a laundry basket to push/pull the toddler around the house. Wearing the baby (sling/carrier) is another way to involve parents with the baby/toddler when washing the dishes/sweep/other chores around the house. Parents do not have to know how to read to do any of these activities with their toddler/baby. They just need to be empowered to take the step and do it.
Pamela Joyner

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@brailleinnovations,
What do you think about the ESOL students that do not have the native language or English skills? I ask this question because last year I had a student with minimum language (almost mute) and she had to take oral tests online, Amira and iReady. She was in 1st grade, and I wanted to cry. This little girl could not complete Amira and could not relate to iReady. I remember one questions on iReady was “point to the nose.” I asked her to point to her nose and she shook her head “no” as if she did not know where or what it was. This is injustice, in my opinion. I was the special instructor but how can we do a better job, given this situation? The ESOL teacher would pull a group of kids (including her), but how much was that little girl really getting from that session? What are your thoughts? What would you suggest according to the 7 specific strategies?
Pamela Joyner

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I would agree that the cultural background or socioeconomic status of families impacts their ability to implement suggested strategies for promoting emergent literacy in toddlers with visual impairment. Knowing the family’s priorities are key in discovering what resources they have and what time they have available to work with the child. I think about how many families with low socioeconomic status often work many jobs and have limited energy to spend on the demands of home life, which would include working with the child with a visual impairment. How many of these families have other children and rely on the older children to care for and teach the younger children. The following excerpt, "However, reading activities may not promote learning in young children with disabilities if there is no conversation about what is being read (Goldstein, 2011), from "Promoting Emergent Literacy Skills in Toddlers with Visual Impairments. So even if someone is reading to the child, if there is no dialogic reading how can the child interpret and understand what is being read.
I find the screen time issue troubling. I have read about other research on screens (phones, tablets) being addictive and the difficulty children have in giving the device back to a parent. Plus, the constant instantaneous changes in material that does not help the child’s attention span. Long ago, working with a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) she mentioned how children watching television was not helpful in that they never get any appropriate feedback on how to say words. Which makes me wonder how would a child get that feedback from a phone or tablet? I understand there are apps that help teach children the alphabet or vocabulary, but can the child apply that information to everyday life? A changing world we’re living in.

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I would struggle with this as well- having students without the native language or English skills. I worked with 2 different ELL teachers (shared a room). The high school ELL students mostly used Google Translate to do everything. The elementary kids worked on whatever the teacher thought to try. There wasn’t much in the way of a set curriculum. The best I can think of is to use cognate words or words that mean the same thing in each language. The ELL teachers had to do frequent evaluations too. These relied heavily on pictures. The high school ELL teacher had a mostly mute student that they had a hard time knowing if she had cognitive delays or not.

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As noted you noted in working with families you often have to meet them where they’re at. Do you find the same with some of the educators you mentioned that say, “that student is so involved we are just kind to them because we can’t expect anything else”? When I was working in the schools as an OT I found that I often had to model how to implement tasks and work with a student because the educator had difficulty grasping the strategies being suggested.

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  1. Prior to viewing the module video, what were your assumptions about Dyslexia? How did the simulation activity change or contribute to your understanding of Dyslexia?

I just knew that letters were often transposed, but never really thought about the impact on learning to read and that the issue was with the eyes or the brain. I found the simulation activity enlightening in the respect of understanding from the individual with dyslexia how difficult reading can be, due to the energy consumption and frustration of words not making sense. This reality made sense when Marnee Lofton shared about high school students reading any word that may have added sounds or syllables and not having enough energy to pay attention for comprehension to see if what the student is reading is making any sense. I appreciated when she shared the early signs to watch for: lacking sounds, syllables, difficulty decoding simple words, difficulty with rhyming.

Talking with individuals with no visual impairments, that have struggled with reading due to undiagnosed dyslexia and have given up on reading as they’ve grown older and yet others that struggled and stuck with reading and now are enjoying reading. This comment makes me think about the other readings and how a teacher with high expectations can make such a difference in a person’s life!

I found this video interesting in the research on interventions and the impact of those interventions on the brain.

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Your post resonated with me about all teachers having high expectations for students. As an itinerant TVI, I try to instill and remind them to have and maintain high expectations for my students. My colleague and I make sure it’s the first bullet point in all in-services but realize some teachers will struggle with this. At the beginning of the year, I introduce or reiterate the expectations for our O&M direct sessions- safety first, communication second, and effort third. I also include my students on creating yearly IEP goals and lesson objectives. The students have appreciated me having this discussion with them even when they are unsure of their primary focus.

I also love the rose, bud, and thorn concept. That is a fantastic way for students to provide feedback on their learning process. I will incorporate that into my teaching. Thank you for describing that!

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I also agree that these are strategies that work with many different populations of students. That is one of the reasons that I thought it would be do-able. However, I think the more experienced the classroom teacher and the more comprehensive the team approach, the more successful it will be. Unfortunately, all schools and classroom teachers are not in this position.

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Lots of blurred lines for sure. In my experience, most of the doctors who do diagnose and provide vision therapy give recommendations for accommodations for student. I don’t really mind that, except I find they are pretty generalized like “large print” or decreased clutter, but the doctor fails to realize that for a student who is in kindergarten, the print is already “large”, and the materials are already naturally decluttered. What does bother me is when the doctor goas as far to say the student needs an IEP or TVI or adapted PE. This goes beyond the scope of the doctor, and again, they often don’t realize they are overstepping. In these cases, I have often called them to the carpet and explained they cannot make educational decisions for a student just was we cannot make medical decisions–basically you diagnose the student and give the prescriptions and we will make educational recommendations.

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Vermont does not have universal preschool–we do have headstart classrooms for children identified at risk. School is compulsory at 6. And yes, the damage that Covid brought will be a long time undoing!

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I have found that gen ed teachers never expect or demand enough from capable students with VI. I once begged a teacher to fail my student as he had simply not done the assignments because he knew he didn’t have to. Combatting that is hard. Our state is small and the percentage of students who have visual impairments is quite small. Many teachers have never encountered such a student, and depending on the circumstances, pass them along regardless of effort.
I work with many students who have additional impairments and they very quickly learn to how exploit low expectations. I arrive and the new para or sub tells me, ‘I had no idea they could do xwy’. I have always been very clear with my students that if they can, they will. For example, if your hands work, you are opening the door, if your legs work, we are using the stairs, etc… I have also worked with teachers who are eager to learn how to modify and accommodate a student’s needs, so that they will not be left behind in the reading gulf that opens between grades 2 and 4.
And I have observed that reading braille often provokes lots of yawning in my students, but I’ve yet to encounter falling asleep, real or pretend!

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I agree that food and shelter are often more pressing needs that emergent literacy. It is not unusual on my caseload that one of the parents is incarcerated, or on parole. Priorities look different then.
Your observations on screens replacing engagement aligns with my experience. The developmental impacts of missing shared attention, already difficult in case of our students, will be showing up for years, I believe. The dinner table is such a rich place to include everyone in conversation, regardless of of one’s language skills. A child can experience that what they have to say and is valuable and desired.
Seeing parents and children separated in their own silent bubbles, is definitely sad.