Students who have remained classified as English Learners (ELs) for more than six years are often labeled "Long-term English Learners" (LTELs). The present study examined the English Language Development (ELD) test scores and demographic information in a group of 560 students identified as LTELs. Despite assumptions that these students…

Evaluating students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (i.e., emergent bilinguals) presents challenges to evaluation teams, as distinguishing between a language disorder and typical second language development is more complex. The skills and knowledge required to do this task often exceed the level of training that evaluators…

Achieving proficiency in core foundational oral language (OL), reading, and writing skills remains difficult for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) and foundational OL difficulty (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2022). Despite evidence linking OL skills in grammar (morphosyntax, syntax) and vocabulary (semantics) to…

The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) are widely used, parent-report instruments of language acquisition. Here, we focus on the word-inventory sections of the instruments, and show two different approaches to modeling CDI data, based on real-world needs. First, we show that Words & Gestures data collected…

To support adolescents with language-based learning disabilities (LLD), speech-language pathologists (SLPs) should adopt a multiliteracies framework that targets critical media literacy skills. Multiliteracies recognize the increasingly digital and collaborative nature of written language that adolescents encounter and promote using online…

This systematic review addresses the research gap in understanding the efficacy of experimental interventions designed to improve the academic outcomes of English Learners with Learning Disabilities (ELswLD). After conducting a rich evaluation of reviews related to English Learners and to students who have disabilities, we contextualize the need…

This qualitative phenomenological research study was used to interview bilingual teachers on their perception regarding the referral process for Spanish-speaking students in emergent bilingual programs. Creswell's (2009) six-step method for analyzing phenomenological studies was used to analyze the interviews. The study results support that…

Canada is facing a nationwide shortage of teachers of French as a second language. The profession is experiencing significant retention issues, with many teachers leaving the field within the first five years. One of the solutions proposed to address the challenges of teacher retention is for post-secondary institutions to integrate the concept…

Background/purpose. Students with learning disabilities (SLDs), bilingual learners (BLs), and English language learners (ELLs) represent heterogeneous groups. With the rising number of SLDs and the expansion of English as a second language instruction in Saudi elementary schools, a critical challenge emerges: How can learning disabilities (LDs) be…

Writing is an essential skill that people use throughout their lifetime. Although previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses had reviewed the effect of writing interventions on students with learning disabilities and English learners, we know little about the effective writing process-types interventions for English learners with or at risk for…

This dissertation consists of three empirical studies that explore the educational experiences and trajectories of English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities. The first study uses longitudinal data from four large California school districts to examine the characteristics of long-term ELs (LTELs) and former ELs--those reclassified as…

English Learners (ELs) have become a significant part of classrooms in the United States, posing a challenge for teachers to provide an equitable education. Inadequate training and a weak understanding of bilingual students' literacy and language development make it difficult for teachers to make instructional decisions for reading instruction.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a graphic organizer for improving the expository text comprehension of adolescent Spanish-English bilingual students with learning disabilities. Students were two females and one male. Using a multiple baseline single case design, researchers taught students to create a funnel map graphic…

The study of Hebrew, a non-European language written in a non-alphabetic (abjadic) script offers valuable insights into the science of reading beyond the well-studied alphabetic scripts. Because reading development in Hebrew is shaped by the uniquely Semitic root-and-pattern morphology and the abjadic (predominantly consonantal) orthography, our…

This study investigated whether teachers' observations of pragmatic language competence predict literacy skills (and the reverse) in students referred for reading disabilities in Oman. A sample of 574 at-risk children between 7 and 12 years old participated. Teachers rated students' pragmatic language, reading, and written expression. Results…