Title: SERVICE DELIVERY TO LOW-SES CHILDREN WITH POTENTIAL AND IDENTIFIED LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS
1SERVICE DELIVERY TO LOW-SES CHILDREN WITH
POTENTIAL AND IDENTIFIED LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS
- Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin, Ph.D.
- Professor, California State University,
Sacramento - Lisa Cabiale OConnor, M.A.
- Progressus Therapy of Marin
2Many thanks.
- To Plural Publishing for permission to cite from
- Roseberry-McKibbin, C. (2008). Increasing
language skills of students from low income
backgrounds Practical strategies for
professionals.
3INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUNDWe have a great deal
of diversity at the first authors elementary
school1/3 of our students are ELLs (English
Language Learners). 60 are on free/reduced
lunch, and 9 are White the other 91 are
children of color
4In any discussion of service delivery, we want to
follow principles of evidence-based practice
- Requires an integration of best research evidence
for clinical procedures with sound judgment and
clinical expertise (Roseberry-McKibbin Hegde,
2006). - Means that as much as possible, we as clinicians
should use only those procedures that are
supported by research.
5No Child Left Behind
- Addresses inequities in our educational system in
several ways - Students with disabilities must participate in
state accountability systems for reading and math
in grades 3-8 - Accommodations are allowed for these students as
necessary - Schools must show adequate annual progress toward
all students being proficient in math and
reading, or the school will face penalties.
6Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA
2004)
- LEAs (local education agencies) are allowed to
eliminate the IQ-achievement discrepancy gap that
formerly was mandated in order to qualify
students for many special education services - There is a greater emphasis on pre-referral
services
7Schools may now use more funds for early
interventionSome schools are utilizing an
RtI (response to intervention) model to support
low-SES children, especially in the early grades.
8II. UNDERSTANDING VARIABLES AFFECTING LOW-SES
STUDENTS PERFORMANCE
- A. Background
- Never equate poverty with dysfunction
9- Remember (Woolfolk, 2004, p. 157)
- Social class is a significant dimension of
cultural differences, often overpowering other
differences such as ethnicity or gender. For
example, upper class Anglo-European Americans,
African Americans, and Hispanic Americans often
find that they have more in common with each
other than they have with lower-class individuals
from their own ethnic groups
10- Poverty in the U.S. has grown in both extent and
magnitude. - The Reagan administration guaranteed that the
truly needy would be provided for by the
social safety net. - Despite these assurances, social welfare programs
were deeply slashed in the 1980s and 1990s.
Homelessness, poverty, and hunger reached levels
unknown in the U.S. since the Great Depression
(de Fazio, 2006).
11- In the 21st century, the U.S. has the highest
rate of poverty for children of all developed
nationsas much as five to eight times higher
than other industrialized countries. - Poverty continues to plague our society despite
decades of national effort and trillions of
federal dollars spent trying to combat it
(National Center for Policy Analysis, 2009). -
12Potential psychological and physical effects of
poverty include
- Malnutrition
- Illness
- Hearing and vision problems
- Housing problems (e.g., lead poisoning,
homeless, frequent moving, crowded conditions,
no place to play outside) - Neighborhood problems (e.g., violence)
- Family stress
- Fewer learning resources
- Lack of cognitive and linguistic stimulation
13B. Situational vs. Generational Poverty(Payne,
2003 Roseberry-McKibbin, 2008a)
- Situational poverty (common for immigrants)
- Occurs for a shorter period of time
- Usually is the result of circumstances (divorce,
illness, death) - People have a sense of pride, and a belief in
their ability to rise above their circumstances
through hard work - They may refuse to accept offers of help as
charity
14Generational poverty
- Poverty affects a family for two generations or
longer - Usually welfare is involved
- A common attitude is I am stuck, and the world
owes me. - There is a short-term value system, which
emphasizes survival in the presentnot planning
for the future (e.g., long-range educational
plans)
15- The values of persons in situational and
generational poverty may differ in a number of
areas
16- SITUATIONAL POV.
- Time is to be valued punctuality is critical
the future is important - Destiny is in our hands we all have choices
internal locus of control - Education is crucial for getting ahead in life,
making good , being respected
- GENERATIONAL POV.
- You get there when you get there the present
is most important survival - you cant fight city hall learned
helplessness external locus of control - Valued in the abstract not emphasized as a
reality or obtainable goal
17- SITUATIONAL POV.
- Life priorities include achievement, possessions,
status - Money is to be saved, managed, invested
- Religion is one of the accoutrements of life
fits into the persons schedule
- GENERATIONAL POV.
- Survival, entertainment, relationships its all
about the PRESENT - Money is to be spent, especially on things that
bring pleasure in the moment - May be the center of much of life a great deal
of time may be spent at the church
18- SITUATIONAL POV.
- With language, formal register is used language
- is used to meet needs, get ahead in life
- Interaction style quiet is valued
conversational partners do not interrupt, but
politely wait their turn
- GENERATIONAL POV.
- Casual register is used language is used for
entertainment and for survival - There is constant background noise interruptions
during conversation are common and expected
19- SITUATIONAL POV.
- Entertainment is a reward for hard work money is
used for education and life comforts leftover
is used for entertainment after other priorities
are met - Discipline is important punishment/negative
consequences are about change dont be sorry,
be different
- GENERATIONAL POV.
- Entertainment plays crucial role highly valued
may take precedence over education the present
is all we havewhy not enjoy life right now? Live
in the moment - Punishment is not about change it is about
penance and forgiveness the persons behavior
continues as before
20- SITUATIONAL POV.
- Organization and planning are very important.
Life is carefully scheduled into structured time
slots. Structure is crucial. Calendars, iPhones,
and other organizational devices proliferate
- GENERATIONAL POV.
- Organizational/planning devices are virtually
nonexistent. Clutter is common structure is not
valued. Planning ahead is not common living by
the seat of your pants is typical
21Most professionals
- Are either from the middle class or from
backgrounds of situational poverty - They may have value clashes with families who
experience generational poverty
22III. FACTORS IMPACTING ORAL LANGUAGE
CHARACTERISTICS OF LOW-SES CHILDREN
23LANGUAGE CHARACTERISTICS CORRELATED WITH LOW SES
- Being poor does not cause children to have
language and behavioral impairments as stated,
we should never equate poverty with dysfunction - However, certain language and behavioral
characteristics are associated with being from a
low-SES background
24Limited access to health care
- Can impact language skills
- If the mother is malnourished during pregnancy,
this impacts brain development - Children who are often sick miss school
25If children come to school sick or hungry
- They have difficulty learning
- It is hard to concentrate
- If they have middle ear infections, this can
impact listening and even written language (e.g.,
reading, spelling)
26Research has documented
- A strong correlation between adults education
and their income levels. - Long-term welfare dependency is associated with
low literacy skills and a lack of a high school
diploma
27Caretakers who have little formal education
- May not provide adequate oral language
stimulation for their children - They may not believe that it is important to talk
with babies and young children (who are not
treated as conversational partners)
28Again, research shows that
- Low-SES parents tend to provide less language
stimulation than middle- and upper-income parents - One study showed that the amount of verbal
stimulation provided to children, along with SES,
significantly related to the childrens verbal
skills at 5 years of age
29An example in working a puzzle (Woolfolk, 2004)
- Low-SES mother No, that piece goes here!
- Middle-SES mother What shape is that piece? Can
you find a spot that is straight like that piece?
Does the color match Nolook again for a
straight, red piece. Yes, try that onegood for
you!
30The middle-SES child
- Is benefiting from verbal elaboration,
problem-solving opportunities, conceptual
development, and encouragement to take initiative - The low-SES child is getting no opportunities to
gain these skills, which are so important in
school
31In terms of educational levels of caregivers
- Research has found that SES is more critical to a
childs language development than ethnic
background - The factor most highly related to SES is the
mothers educational level
32Hart Risley 1995
- Conducted longitudinal studies of families from
various ethnic and SES backgrounds. - Over several years, they observed in the homes of
3 groups of 1-2 year old children from 3 groups
1) welfare, 2) working class, 3) professional. - Hart, B., Risley, T.R. (1995). Meaningful
differences in the everyday experiences of young
American children. Baltimore Paul H. Brookes
Publishing Co.
33Hart Risley concluded that
- SES made an overwhelming difference in how much
talking went on in a family. - The family factor most strongly associated with
the amount of talking in the home was not
ethnicity, but SES
34Hart Risley extrapolated thatIn a 365-day
year, children from professional families would
have heard 4 million utterancesChildren from
welfare families would have heard 250,000
utterancesChildren from working class families
fell somewhere in between
35- Even by 3 years of age, the difference in
vocabulary knowledge between children from
welfare and middle class homes was so great that
in order for the welfare children to gain a
vocabulary equivalent to that of children from
working class homes, these welfare children would
need to attend a preschool program for 40 hours
per week where they heard language at a level
used in the homes of professional families.
36IV. SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE LANGUAGE
STIMULATION FOR LOW-SES BABIES
- Research shows that high-quality preschool
programs portend the best short- and long-term
results for at-risk children from low-SES homes - It is especially ideal if these programs can
begin in infancy (The Carolina Abecedarian
Project, 2006 Hart Risley, 1995 Fowler,
Ogston, Roberts-Fiati, Swenson, 1995 Loeb,
Fuller, Kagan, Chang, 2004)
37- Researchers have found that many times, parents
do not look at books with their infants - Parents also do not imitate sounds their babies
make - An important developmental window is being missed
38- Fowler et al. (1995) studied 2 groups of infants
from various cultural groups - In group A, language stimulation was begun at 4
months of age - In group B, language stimulation was begun at 12
months of age
39- Fowler and colleagues followed these infants into
adolescence - They found that in high school, group A students
surpassed group B students on almost all
cognitive, linguistic, and social measures - The first 6 months of life is a very critical
window for infant linguistic and cognitive
stimulation
40- We can encourage caregivers to
- 1. Read to babies (simple books with colorful
pictures are best) - 2. Talk to the babyface-to-face contact is ideal
- 3. Label common objects
- 4. Introduce music and singing
41- 5. Let the baby have a safe-glass mirror to look
in - 6. Point out and label body parts during
activities such as dressing and bathing - 7. Use short utterances with simple syntax
- 8. Heighten facial expressions, gestures, and
intonation
42- 9. Play turntaking games such as pattycake and
peek-a-boo - 10. In very early infancy, introduce
black-and-white objects - 11. Imitate sounds the baby makes, and make new
sounds - 12. Make a habit of using greetings and
leavetakings (Bye bye, Allison!)
43- 13. Provide many opportunities for babies to put
simple objects into containers and then take them
out - 14. While doing household chores and errands,
bring the baby along and describe what is
happening - 15. Introduce 2 languages from birth if possible
44- We can provide caregivers with lists of these
suggestions - Payne (2003) has also shown that sending home
short DVDs with techniques demonstrated is highly
effective, as most people own DVD players
45- V. SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR
LOW-SES PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
46To increase expressive language skills.
- Talking with the child as much as possible is
very helpful - Extensions are quite powerful
- Child Kitty!
- Adult Yes, there is a black kitty sitting on
the sidewalk.
47When we use extensions
- We add new grammatic and semantic information to
the childs utterance - Another example
- Child I see bus!
- Adult Yes, look at that big yellow bus going
down the road.
48Caregivers can also use self-talk
- Where they describe their own activities during
interaction - For example Look, I have to start the car. I
better turn on the heat because it is cold
outside. Its winter, and we need to get warm!
49In the technique of parallel talk
- The caregiver talks about what the child is doing
- Look, you have a tricycle! I bet you will go
really fast around the playground. That red
tricycle is fun!
50Increasing Literacy Skills
- Reading, writing, spelling
- ?
- Phonological awareness
- ?
- Oral language (including narrative skills)
- ?
- Foundation is environmental experiences and
exposure
51Bloom and Lahey stated that
- Language is a system of symbols used to represent
concepts that are formed through exposure and
experience
52Begin with phonological awareness
- Phonological awareness is the ability to
consciously reflect on and manipulate the sound
system of a language. - It is foundational to success in reading,
writing, and spelling. - Low-SES preschoolers especially need to develop
phonological awareness skills (Roseberry- McKib
bin, 2007).
53Use the following hierarchy
- 1. Count the of words in a sentence
- 2. Count the number of syllables in a word
- 3. Count the number of sounds in a word
- 4. Identify rhyming words
- 5. Use sound blending skills (e.g., What word is
this? S-u-n - 6. Identify the first sound in a word
- 7. Identify the last sound in a word
54Other ideas include
- Use rhythm sticks and clapping to facilitate
knowledge of how many syllables there are in a
given word. Students can clap out the syllables
or use rhythm sticks to tap or shake for each
syllable. - Use a grab bag where students pull an object/toy
out of the bag and tell the beginning or ending
sound in the word. - Use rhymes such as Dr. Seuss. Many low-SES
preschoolers with LLD have underdeveloped
rhyming skills.
55We can also
- Use stories with Rebus-style pictures and ask
students to read the pictures - Read a familiar story or poem and have students
fill in missing words
56If books are read many times..
- Children obtain more vocabulary and information
each time they read the story. - When they are familiar with a story, they can be
encouraged to read it to peers and family
members. This increases their confidence with
reading.
57- Researchers such as Fey, Windsor, and Warren
(1995) and Kaderavek and Boucher (2006) caution
that some children may not be motivated to read.
This can be due to lack of exposure to books in
the home, lack of desire to sit still and focus,
and other variables. - Thus, it is extremely important for professionals
to make reading books motivating and enjoyable.
58Ideas to make book reading enjoyable and
motivating include
- Keep book reading time short.
- Use predictable books because they have
simplified and repetitive text that engage
childrens interest. - For example, a predictable book might start off
with 10 little monkeys, sitting in a
treeteasing Mr. Alligatorcant catch me! Along
comes Mr. Alligator, quiet as can be, and
SNAPS that monkey right out of that tree. 9
little monkeys etc.
59Professionals can use books that
- Have highly exciting or dramatic story themes
- Have manipulative parts like flaps and movable
tabs to engage children. - Have buttons to press that make noises (e.g., a
choo-choo noise for a train) or play music. - Have many colorful pictures that accompany the
words. Often, children who have limited - exposure to books will become
disinterested in books that have many words
on each page.
60And we know that we should encourage caregivers
to read, read, read!
61Written Language Attainments Preschool Period
- We need to be sure that before they enter
kindergarten, our preschool students can - 1. Display interest in reading sharing books
- 2. Hold a book right side up
- 3. Identify the front and back of the book
- 4. Identify the top and bottom of a page
- 5. Look at and turn pages from left to right
- 6. Identify the title on the book cover
62- 7. Identify titles of favorite books
- 8. Distinguish between pictures and print on a
page - 9. Know where the story begins in the book
- 10. Identify letters that occur in their
own names - 11. Print the first letter of their name
- 12. Recite the first 10 letters of the alphabet
63- 13. Point to the first letter in a word14.
Differentiate uppercase from lowercase
letters15. Use terms such as letter, word,
alphabet - 16. Point to words individually as they are read
- 17. Respond to signs in the classroom
- 18. Recognize common environmental signs (e.g.,
stop sign)
64VI. GENERAL PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR USE BY
PROFESSIONALS
65Teachers and other professionals such as SLPs can
increase the number of childrens conversational
experiences in the classroommany low-SES
children need this, especially when they are in
the early elementary grades (Weiner, 2001)
66Ways to increase childrens conversational
experiences in therapy rooms and especially
classrooms include
- Talk to individual students as they complete
their work (e.g., You finished cutting out the
picture of the rabbitnice job.) - Allow children to converse nonverbally if they
still are uncomfortable speaking (e.g., If the
sun is shining, clap your hands. If it is
recess time, stand up.
67Other ways to increase childrens conversational
experiences include
- Bring in volunteers to have conversations with
children about their interests or what they are
doing in school - Give all students opportunities to practice
various forms of language. For example, students
need many opportunities to practice negotiating,
making requests, explaining things to others, and
problem-solving.
68- Arrange the physical setting of the classroom so
that it promotes talking and interaction.
Teachers, SLPs, and other professionals can
provide learning centers, interactive classroom
displays, and large tables for group work.
69In addition to having many conversational
experiences
- Many low-SES students, especially if they are
older, need to learn how to take notes
effectively - They may never have been taught to do this
70With regard to notetaking, students often need to
be explicitly taught to
- Focus on key/content words and write them
downdont write down all the function words that
are not semantically relevant. - Distinguish between content and function
wordsbig and little words - Students may need a review of the parts of speech
(adjectives, nouns, verbs, and articles) - In this way, they can remember that most key
words are adjectives, nouns, and verbs articles
are the little words
71Students 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 mans best
friend. - When they learn to do this, they can then be
taught to take notes, writing down just the
key/content words.
72With regard to notetaking, we can also
- Allow students to use a variety of writing
instruments. Allowing students to choose their
own writing instruments heightens their interest
in the writing process and in the information
they are hearing. - Some children with illegible handwriting benefit
from using mechanical pencils (from personal
experience, I recommend 0.9 millimeter leads, as
these do not break as easily as 0.5 millimeter
leads!)
73We can encourage students to
- Use a highlighter pen when reviewing notes. The
color will add interest and contrast. - They need to be taught to only highlight key
words and phrases, not whole sentences, as this
will aid in quick skimming/review later on - Rewrite their notes by hand. Handwriting notes
again helps embed these notes in memory
74Students can also be encouraged to
- Copy notesespecially definitions of termson the
backs of colorful index cards. Students can carry
these cards with them and review them during down
time - Explain their notes to another person. Talking
about the information contained in notes and
trying to teach this information to another
person is extremely helpful in increasing
students retention of the material
75To increase overall comprehension for notetaking,
general listening, and reading, we can 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.
76- Nanci Bell (1991) has a comprehensive program
called Visualize and Verbalize. This program
helps students learn to form detailed mental
images to build skills in vocabulary, reading,
and writing.
77VII. DEVELOPING VOCABULARY SKILLS
- It is important for students of all ages to build
their content knowledge/ conceptual foundation
within meaningful contexts. Drill without context
is usually ineffective (Roseberry-McKibbin,
2008b). - Develop knowledge of classroom/ curriculum
vocabulary. We can ask teachers to provide us
information about what vocabulary they are
teaching in the classroom.
78For example, if I have students from a classroom
where they are learning about the ocean and
marine life
- I use materials about the ocean and marine life
as part of my therapy session. - In this way, students are getting classroom
vocabulary and concepts reinforced.
79New words need to be learned in context
- Ideally, students should have concrete
experiences when they learn new information - For example, if they are being taught about
horses, it is ideal to actually see and touch one - If actual experiences are not available, objects
and then pictures can work well
80We can ask students to describe pictures and give
word definitionsthese skills are predictive of
success in literacy and school achievement
81If students draw pictures of new words they are
learning.
- Then they will remember the words much better
- Payne (2003) If you can sketch a picture of it,
then you know it!
82- It is helpful for students to write out
vocabulary words. - Some students struggle so much with
writingespecially spelling--that in order to
save time, I have them verbally tell me the
sentence they want to write. I write the sentence
on an erasable white board and they copy it. - In this way, they cement the vocabulary word
even more firmly into their minds. They also get
to practice writing words out correctly. In
addition, they practice the important skill of
sentence formulation.
83- When possible, I have classroom teachers give me
lists of spelling words the class is working on
that week. I try to incorporate these words into
therapy as much as possible. The children benefit
greatly, and teachers love it!
84We can use context-embedded strategies to teach
vocabulary
- An example follows, where the professional such
as the SLP or regular education teacher teaches
low-SES students about the moon
851. The professional brainstorms with students
about what they already know, building on their
previous knowledge
- What do you know about the moon?
- Students might answer It is up in the sky or
It shines at night. - The professional can record all these answers on
a paper or whiteboard.
862. The professional uses visuals to focus on the
topic
- For example, the professional might use a
PowerPoint presentation, video, or pictures to
show the first landing on the moon - The professional can then ask students to
describe what they see
873. The professional provides hands-on experiences
to reinforce the information
- For example, using a lamp or projector as the sun
and a tennis ball as the moon, the processional
demonstrates how the shape of the moon appears to
change. - The students sit in a circle and help move the
moon around the circle in the light of the
sun. - The professional might also have the students
jump two or three times to demonstrate the
effects of gravity. S/he can discuss the moons
gravity and how it affects tides.
884. The professional has students record
experiences in their notebooks.
- For students with writing issues, these
experiences might be typed onto a computer - It is ideal if students can keep logs or journals
for review of concepts that they have learned
895. The professional reviews test vocabulary and
concepts with games and worksheets.
- There are many options here. I have found from
clinical experience that many students really
enjoy Bingo and Charades. They may also enjoy
Pictionary, where they have to draw a
word/concept and have other students guess what
it is.
90For many low-SES students
- Learning vocabulary is difficult because it is
taught auditorily in an abstract way with no
visuals or movement - Using strategies such as those just reviewed can
help new vocabulary words become
context-embedded, and therefore much easier to
learn and remember
91VIII. WORKING WITH LOW-SES ELEMENTARY-AGED AND
ADOLESCENT STUDENTS ENHANCING LITERACY SKILLS
92Many SLPs do not view literacy as something that
is our job. Many of us in public schools work
with students who have oral language problems,
and literacy is viewed as the province of other
professionals such as Resource Specialists.
- However, ASHA (2004) has been increasingly
emphasizing the role of the SLP in supporting
students with written language problems. - Low-SES students are particularly vulnerable to
written language difficulties
93There are many easy, simple, inexpensive
activities that SLPs can incorporate into therapy
to provide additional support to these students.
- In this section, we shall discuss some of these
activities that cost practically nothing and
potentially make a big, positive difference for
low-SES students.
94SUPPORTING LOW-SES STUDENTS WITH
- WRITING, FINE MOTOR, TRACKING, AND SPELLING
PROBLEMS
95Writing can be difficult
- Today in the U.S., most special education
- referrals involve students who have difficulty
with writing.
96Students may have difficulty because1. They
have poor composition skills
- 2. They have weak hand/finger muscles and poor
finger dexterity - 3. They may come from environments where writing
and other pre-readiness fine motor skills have
not been emphasized.
97Teachers assume that
- Children come to school ready for paper-pencil
tasks they should start writing immediately - In fact, many are not ready and need to do
activities like painting and playing with clay - In todays kindergartens, there is no time for
this children are asked to write before they are
ready
98Handwriting without Tears
- Is a multisensory, developmental approach that is
virtually 100 successful. - It is excellent for ELL children it is very
visual and tactile - It is also good for children who are left-handed,
who reverse their letters, and who have
difficulty forming their letters. - www.hwtears.com
99- There are many simple, inexpensive activities
that can be used to help children who have
difficulty with writing and fine motor skills
100These include
- Use small pencilse.g. golf or bowling sizethe
ensure an accurate grip - Put a ? in the upper left hand corner to orient
students as to where to begin writing. - Have the child make letters in clay or playdough
- Have the child trace letters in a salt or sand
tray to enhance the kinesthetic feel of the
letter.
101- Overteach right vs. left. Many low-SES students
confuse right and left. I have pre-adolescents
who are still inaccurate with these concepts! - Make sure the child is sitting at 90 degree
angles. Her feet should be flat on the floor, her
posture straight, and her stomach touching the
table. Her nonwriting hand should be flat and
should support the paper as she writes.
102Have the child pick up small objects with
tweezers. If we are teaching vocabulary through
small objects, we can kill 2 birds with one
stone by having children use tweezers to pick up
these objects this will help develop fine motor
skills.
- Encourage the child to squeeze a squishy ball
during listening activities. This enhances
attention and helps strengthen hand and finger
muscles.
103- Have the child write letters in the air, writing
from the shoulder - Have the child wake up her body by stomping on
the floor, moving aroundthis will enhance
concentration. - If the child is a leftie, the paper is turned in
the opposite direction
104- Make sure the child can easily write the letters
A STONE these are the most frequently used in
the Dolch list - Teach spacing by having children overexaggerate
spacing when they are first learning to write - Use the Skittle test! If there is enough space
for a Skittle to be placed between words, the
child gets to eat the Skittle.
105- Enhancing Reading Comprehension Skills
106We Can Teach Basic Sight Words
- The of and a
- To in you is
- That it at he
- For on are as
- With his they be
107- If low-SES students sound out basic sight words
each time they encounter these words, reading
comprehension and fluency will be slowed down
greatly. - Professionals can drill these sight words with
students until the students can read them quickly
and automatically. - I use index cards and write the words down, one
word per index card. - When students can read the words quickly and with
automaticity, reading comprehension and fluency
are greatly enhanced!
108PREVIEW-VIEW-REVIEW APPROACH
- Use classroom textbooks to teach students this
approach - This helps teach class curriculum content and
enhance reading skills
109BEGIN WITH PREVIEW
- 1. Get an overview of the chapter
- 2. Read the main idea sentence of key paragraphs
- Highlight key vocabulary words
- Read the concluding paragraph or summary
110VIEW THE CHAPTER
- 1. Read the text aloud and have students follow
along - 2. Stop and have students explain content in
their own words - 3. Help the student organize and outline notes
and readings
111- 4. Review class notes which pertain to the
chapter - 5. Scaffold for the student
- 6. Help the student use context to enhance
comprehension of words
112Help the student visualize what is being read
113REVIEW
- 1. Look over chapter headings and divisions again
- 2. Ask questions about the content
- 3. Help the student answer questions at the end
of the chapter
114Also review by
- 4. Have the student summarize the chapter in her
own words - 5. Ask the student for his opinions about what
was read - 6. Ask the student if she has any questions
about the chapter - 7. Help the student make up test questions about
the content they have just read.
115Again, SLPs can incorporate these ideas.
- To support low-SES students of all ages as they
learn to read, write, and spell. - These ideas can be used as adjuncts to therapy
for increasing the students oral language
skills.
116IX. INCREASING LOW-SES STUDENTS EXECUTIVE
FUNCTIONING SKILLS
117What is executive functioning?
- Executive functioning (EF) has to do with
goal-directed behavior that is important for
success in lifes activities - EF can be likened to an air traffic controller
that monitors and coordinates all activities it
can also be likened to a maestro that conducts an
orchestra (Eberle, 2003)
118EF is critical in terms of
- Thinking about the future
- Being able to evaluate potential consequences of
ones choices
119We enlist EF when we.
- Set goals to achieve what we want
- Determine what is necessary to attain those goals
- For example, if we want a certain job, we think
What job do I want to obtain? (goal) What skills
do I have, and are they pertinent to that job?
What steps do I need to take to attain my goal of
obtaining this particular job? (determining what
is necessary to obtain those goals)
120Fundamentally, characteristics of EF include
- Developing plans for future actions
- Holding those action sequences and plans in
working memory until they are executed - Inhibiting actions that are not relevant
121EFs are
- The problem-solving processes that are utilized
at the outset of a novel, non-automatic task - Fundamentally intertwined with working memory and
inhibition
122- EF deficits can inhibit the learning of social
and academic language, and dramatically slow down
students progress in school - Ultimately, EF deficits can negatively impact
students academic, linguistic, and career paths
123- Children with executive functioning deficits have
difficulty solving personal problems,
communicating effectively and creating
organizational structures that allow for
flexibility and prioritization. - Impacts their ability to succeed throughout the
school day. - As the child gets older, problems continue as
they have difficulty learning the complex skills
of managing homework, and school projects.
124- Executive functioning skills are taken for
granted by teachers and caregivers. - It is assumed that students with normal to above
normal intelligence have the ability to
prioritize, organize and solve problems. - Often when EF problems occur, the teacher will
describe the child as having weak organizational
skills.
125Low-SES students may be vulnerable to EF
deficits(Farah, Noble, Hurt, 2006)
- If they are from homes where they have been
socialized toward interdependent behavior and
external control of behavior by authority rather
than to self-regulation and independent,
internalized self-control. These types of homes
are typical in many cultures (Lynch Hanson,
2004 Roseberry-McKibbin, 2008b Chan Lee,
2004 Sharifzadeh, 2004) - Because many have been shown to have working
memory deficits again, successful EF is directly
related to working memory
126- There are few assessments available to explore
students abilities in this realm. - Problems associated with organizational
challenges include - Difficulty tracking homework assignments
- Difficulty organizing materials in class
- Difficulty planning and executing steps toward
completing class homework projects
127- Students with EF problems generally need direct
intervention to address their executive
functioning or organizational weaknesses. - School districts are beginning to recognize that
many students need these skills directly taught
to them, whether or not they have a known
disability. - As a result, some schools have recognized the
need to include study skills as part of the
curriculum
128Components of EF that we may need to teach
directly include (Eberle, 2003 Packer, 2004
Singer Bashir, 1999)
- Inhibiting irrelevant actions
- Attending selectively
- Demonstrating emotional control
- Restraining and delaying responses till an
appropriate time - Setting goals and planning steps to achieve those
goals - Planning for the future
- Shifting flexibly between activities
129We need to especially emphasize teaching students
to
- Inhibit their immediate responses to stimuli,
thereby allowing themselves time to plan and
organize and set goals - Pause for self-reflection and self-analysis
1303 Simple Questions We Can Teach Students to Ask
Are
- 1. What is the problem I am having right now?
(take time to analyze the problem) - 2. Why am I having this problem? (identify cause)
- 3. What can I choose to do about it? (behavioral
adjustment) - An example of a simple choice chart follows
on the next slide.
131My Choice Chart
- Student Name________ _________Date________
- What I wanted was_____________________________
- The choice I made was The consequence of my
___________________ choice was - ___________________ ______________________
- Next time, I could choose to The consequence of
that ___________________ choice would be - ___________________ _____________________
- I will remember that each choice I make leads
to a - consequence.
- I will try to make good choices so that I can
experience good consequences!
132Another example of an EF chart for low-SES
students
- Is illustrated on the next slide
- This can be printed, laminated, and put on or in
the students desk as a reminder of utilizing EF
strategies in the classroom - Most teachers are very open to having students
use this type of chart, and may even find the
principles/steps useful for the whole class
133Executive Functioning Strategies
- 1. Stop, breathe, and think ahead
- 2. Allow myself enough time to get things done
- 3. Be organized and neatwrite things down
- 4. Set goals
- 5. Create and carry out steps to achieve my
goals - 6. Focus, pay attention, stay on track
- 7. Evaluate my actions did I do what I needed to
do to achieve my goals? - 8. Ask myself What could I do differently next
time to improve upon my performance?
134If SLPs and other professionals can help low-SES
increase their EF skills
- They can help these students take a giant step
toward success in all realms academic, social,
and ultimately, career
135It takes a village to raise a child.
- Thank you for all your hard work as an integral
part of that village.
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