In my quest to help H1 through her learning differences, I investigated The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA), which is one of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Language Resource Centers. CARLA’s role is to improve the nation's capacity to teach and learn foreign languages effectively. I found a smattering of information there on students in immersion education with learning disabilities. I asked if they could offer any assistance or direction to additional resources for H1. I also asked if there some way that H1’s story/struggle could benefit someone else.
I was able to speak at length with Tara Fortune, Ph.D. - Immersion Projects Coordinator at CARLA. Ms. Fortune is currently working on the following project --Understanding Language and Learning Disabilities: Immersion Educators’ Top Ten Questions, Research-based, Practitioner-informed Responses. She forwarded her working document to me and it is extremely enlightening with respect to the amount of research that has already been done.
We spoke about H1’s experiences and about her “early” identification. Once Ms. Fortune was able to determine what we were dealing with, we moved on to the topic of how were we able to navigate our way through systems that hesitate to give an early LD label to children grades K-1. As educators, I know all of you are aware that dyslexia and many other learning differences are generally not identified until end of grade 2 or later. There are of course, many valid reasons, as to why this is the case; however, I am sure that no one will dispute the fact that early detection and intervention is important. She was very impressed with the team of people at Normandale. Whether or not, it was I who created the drive for the process, is only one part. I had a teacher and a team that was willing to work with H1. H1 was blessed with a teacher who heard my concerns and who listened to her own intuition.
As our conversation came to a close, she extended an invitation to write an article for American Council on Immersion Education (ACIE) tri-yearly newsletter. ACIE strives to promote communication among immersion educators, and others interested in immersion education. Her goal for the article is for Mme Péralta and me to co-author a piece on H1’s experience - a look at her experience from a parent’s perspective and an educator’s perspective.
This article is not intended to create a rash of over identification of children with an LD label, when it is clear that many are just exhibiting a normal development curve (albeit perhaps at the later end of it). It is meant to be a narrative that may resonate with other educators and potentially, may encourage and/or motivate them to look beyond the current standards of not labeling a child too early and see the child as an individual.
What is my personal motivation for writing this article? H1 is clearly my first priority. She is extremely happy at Normandale. She feels success in her ability to speak and understand another language. My parental instinct told me to not pull her out of a program where she is experiencing success, where she feels so socially and emotionally connected - So I began to research how I could support her in her journey. I hope that by learning more about her, (her struggles, her learning differences, what the research says, what her teacher’s experiences are) – that I will be able to find resources that can continue to foster her love of learning. I hope for her that education is a blessing and not a battle. As her mother, of course, I want to protect her heart.
My passion about her and her learning has taken on a life of it’s own. I am constantly running into people who have had a child (or who know of one) who wasn’t identified until later and who suffered pretty severe consequences to their self esteem. I hear the pain of the parents and the children. I guess, I ended up with the thought, “if not me, then who?”. We cannot wait on other people to do what we wish had already been done.
Clearly, as her primary teacher, Mme Péralta’s role is key; however, each of you have a role in H1’s story. I have a few questions, below that I would love to have your help with. It is your choice to decide to answer or not. Of course, I would let you see any final product before it goes out. I would love to have your permission to quote you if you are comfortable with it.
Thank you for your time.
- Who are you? ☺
- What is/was your role in H1’s learning?
- What was your first impression of H1’s learning ability?
- When, if at all, did you expect that it was something more than a “normal developmental lag”?
- What specifically concerned you?
- What did you choose to do about it?
- What strategies did you use/are you using with her?
- What types of testing did you use and/or create to help you better understand where H1 was?
- Was there an “aha” moment for you?
- Why do you think you were able to identify the situation as something outside of the normal development curve?
- If there is something that someone can learn from this experience – what would it be?
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