Product Overview
According to the National Education Association (NEA), multilingual learners (also referred to as English learners) comprise approximately 25% of students in pre-K-12 classrooms nationwide. These students have historically been overrepresented in special education, often because educators do not understand how multilingual learners acquire language and how this process impacts overall learning.
This guide provides information on the second language acquisition process and identifies characteristics of multilingual learners that do not, on their own, constitute the need for special education. Alongside a chart of the most common disabilities, it identifies red flags that may indicate the need to refer a multilingual learner for special education evaluation. It also offers a checklist of supports and interventions that should be provided in the general education classroom before a referral is made.
Other topics covered include:
- Why and how to collaborate with other professionals in the pre-referral process
- Language factors affecting multilingual learners
- Specific practices for addressing common challenges
- Engaging multilingual learners
- Differentiated strategies and scaffolds
- Making a referral
Dr. Carrie McDermott Goldman is an educator at Molloy University’s School of Education and Human Services, with over two decades of experience teaching pre-service and inservice teachers. Her career highlights include co-authoring and directing the Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute Grant, receiving the Innovative Online Course Design Award, and becoming a Quality Matters Certified online course evaluator. Dr. Goldman is also a published author, with works including the best-selling From Equity Insights to Action: Critical Strategies for Teaching Multilingual Learners and the upcoming Nine Dimensions of Scaffolding Instruction and Assessment for Multilingual Learners. Her career demonstrates a commitment to transforming education through innovative teaching, mentorship, and promoting equitable learning opportunities for all students.
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