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National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning

March 2021 | Issue No. 41

Supporting Children Who Are Dual Language Learners (DLLs) with Disabilities or Suspected Delays

February was DLL Celebration Month and we want to keep the conversation going! Much of the content in this edition is shared as a reissue of the June 2018 Disabilities Services Newsletter. The selected article and some resources have been updated.

Ensuring the full and effective participation of children who are DLLs with disabilities or suspected delays is a critical component of inclusion. Children who are DLLs are learning two or more languages at the same time or learning a second language while continuing to develop their first. This includes all children who have a home language other than English. Children who are DLLs can benefit from a range of strategies and activities to support their development and learning. These strategies promote meaningful, relevant, and active participation in early learning experiences alongside their peers. They are particularly important for children who are DLLs with disabilities or suspected delays. In this issue, find resources you can use to support these children at home and in the classroom.

Read About It

At the beginning of the fall, a new child, Carlos, joined Ms. Vera’s Head Start classroom. Carlos is a cheerful 4-year-old boy who likes toys and stories. He was diagnosed with a developmental delay in communication skills when he was 3 years old.

His family came to the United States from Mexico three years ago. His mother, who is his primary caregiver, speaks fluent Spanish and has limited English abilities. Carlos’ father speaks fluent Spanish and English; he sometimes tries to speak English with Carlos. However, Carlos understands Spanish better than English, and he speaks Spanish at home most of the time. Carlos rarely speaks English in his preschool classroom.

Occasionally, he expresses his needs and wants in simple Spanish words or phrases. He often plays with a Spanish-speaking child, but has few interactions with other peers. Carlos’ parents have expressed their concern about his English and Spanish language skills. They told Vera and the assistant, Ms. Gillian, that they want Carlos to learn more English and Spanish vocabulary. Vera and Gillian agree that Carlos needs to learn English and Spanish in their classroom, but they find it challenging to support vocabulary in both languages. Neither of them speaks Spanish or know of effective strategies to support bilingual learning for DLLs with disabilities. (Adapted from Bilingual Vocabulary Development for Dual Language Learners with Disabilities)

Read more about how Carlos’ team supported his language learning using research-based teaching strategies. This month's selected reading is Bilingual Vocabulary Development for Dual Language Learners with Disabilities: Two Research-Based Approaches from Young Exceptional Children (YEC).

The individualized bilingual vocabulary strategies they learned about were:

Identify vocabulary objectives
Determine when and where to teach target vocabulary
Use research-based teaching strategies
Provide targeted teaching during interactive storybook reading by previewing the book, teaching target words, and reviewing target words
Practice throughout the day

Review the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) position statement on supporting children’s home culture, languages, and values. The statement describes cultural and linguistic responsiveness on both the personal and organizational level. It also outlines the DEC’s position on promoting and advancing policies and practices that support the development of all children with disabilities and their families.

Take a Look

Supporting Children with Disabilities Who Are Also DLLs
Discover myths and facts about ways to support children who are DLLs with disabilities. Listen as presenters share high-quality screening practices to determine if a child who is a DLL needs further evaluation. Explore teaching practices for promoting engagement once a child has been identified as having a disability.

Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English Toolkit: DLLs and ELs with Disabilities
Approximately 9% of children who are DLLs also have disabilities. Learn about the nature of bilingualism and how it intersects with early intervention services in this 16-minute video by international expert Fred Genesee. Scenario: After watching the video, Vera and Gillian feel like they have a better understanding about how children develop two languages and general strategies to engage children who are DLLs with disabilities. They also know from the YEC article that choosing a few vocabulary words to target at a time is a good approach. But, they are still unsure of other teaching strategies they can use to teach these vocabulary words. Vera and Gillian decide to look for other resources and ideas they can try out in their classroom to help Carlos learn the new vocabulary words.

Bilingual Language Development
Learn more about brain development and how children develop two or more languages in this learning module from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Science (iLABS).

Try It Out

Screening DLLs in Early Head Start and Head Start: A Guide for Program Leaders
This guide includes tools that can help Head Start and Early Head Start program leaders make informed and intentional decisions about selecting valid screening instruments and implementing high-quality screening practices for young children who are DLLs. This is helpful when valid screening tools are not available in the languages of the children being served.

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Express Checkout Worksheet
Successful early childhood programs respect and incorporate the cultures of the children and families they serve. This worksheet guides programs to select resources that are culturally and linguistically suitable appropriate for their community.

Ready DLL Mobile App
Ready DLL is a mobile app for Head Start and Early Head Start teachers and caregivers who support children who are DLLs. Learn key phrases in four languages — Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Haitian Creole — and explore effective teaching practices. Scenario: From their research, Vera and Gillian know that it is important for Carlos to hear words in Spanish and English to build his vocabulary. They download the Ready DLL app so they can learn key Spanish phrases to use with Carlos.

Improve Your Practice

Building Skills in Two Languages
This module presents ways to support children who are learning two languages. Learn how to teach new vocabulary, support language and concept development, and partner with families.

DLLs with Disabilities: Supporting Young Children in the Classroom
Use this module to understand the importance of maintaining children and families’ home language at the same time they are learning a new or second language. It begins with an overview of young children who are DLLs with disabilities. It also explores how to screen and assess these children and identifies strategies to support them in inclusive preschool classrooms. Scenario: After completing the module, Vera and Gillian are excited to try out some of the strategies they learned to help Carlos build his vocabulary. Since Carlos likes books, they agree to start by using visual supports throughout the classroom. They also decide to use toys and materials that are familiar to Carlos throughout their classroom to spark his interest.

Guidelines for Collaborating with Interpreters
Discover effective practices to use before, during, and after a meeting or conversation in which an interpreter is involved. The related Article to Action (A2A) guide provides suggestions for continuing learning and using new strategies.

Families, Too!

The Importance of Home Language Series
These handouts offer staff and families basic information on topics related to children learning two or more languages. Language at Home and in the Community for Families provides eight simple and practical strategies that families of DLLs can use in their daily life to promote language learning for their children. The strategies can be key for supporting language for a child who is a DLL and also has disabilities or suspected delays. The series is available in a few language choices, including Spanish. Scenario: After finishing their research, Vera and Gillian feel like they have a good set of strategies to teach Carlos new vocabulary. They know how important it is to work with Carlos’ family to support his learning at home and in the classroom. They meet with his family to choose vocabulary words to target based on their interests and priorities. Vera and Gillian work with his family to select materials and books to use in the classroom. They also share the Language at Home handout in Spanish with Carlos’ family so they can learn more about how to support his language learning at home.

Brilliant Bilingual Babies
Find out what studies show about how to support children who are learning more than one language at once.

Ongoing Features

Free access to a specially selected article from YEC
Read the Bilingual Vocabulary Development for Dual Language Learners with Disabilities: Two Research-Based Approaches. This specially selected resource is available through our newsletter until March 31, 2021.

Head Start Disabilities-Inclusion Network
Engage with Head Start and disabilities-focused colleagues around the country in an online community hosted on the MyPeers platform. Our community currently has more than 1,000 members who are sharing resources, engaging in conversations, and asking questions. Login or register as a member of MyPeers. Find the Head Start Disabilities-Inclusion Network community under "All Communities" and select the blue "Join" button.

Upcoming Events

There are three upcoming webinars in the Inclusion Webinar series:

March 23, 2021, 3–4 p.m. ET: Recruiting and Enrolling Children with Disabilities and Suspected Delays: Challenges and Solutions
May 25, 2021, 3–4 p.m. ET: Increased Access, Increased Learning
July 27, 2021, 3–4 p.m. ET: Increased Opportunity, Increased Learning

Find out more information about these and other upcoming events on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC).

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