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Is Additional Screening Information Needed for English Learners?

Research indicates that English learners benefit from early screening and effective, early instruction

Bilingual students and English learners should not be excluded from universal literacy screening

However, while screening information is important in assessing whether English learners may be at risk for reading problems, the screening process should not end with a screening measure that focuses on decoding and phonemic skills

Additional data is needed to determine whether reading difficulty stems from a lack of oral language proficiency or a possible reading disability:

Students with strong native literacy skills will likely require different support than students with weaker native language literacy skills

How long has the student been speaking/exposed to English (in addition to their native language)?
Is there a family history of reading difficulties?

Because Dyslexia has a genetic component, knowing whether an immediate family member may have had reading difficulty can be helpful in determining whether the student’s difficulty might be related to a disability.

Is the student’s first language one that promotes transfer to learning English (cross linguistic transfer)?

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Recommendations for Using Screening Tools with English Learners

Use tools with demonstrated reliability and validity to identify and monitor students’ need for instructional support in reading
Assess students’ language skills in reading in the native language (L1) and in English (second language or L2) to provide an appropriate context regarding evaluation of current levels of performance
Evaluate the potential effect of the process of L1 and L2 acquisition on current performance
Plan instruction based on what is known about the student’s current level of performance and the student’s literacy experiences in L1 and L2

The following information from students’ educational history should be gathered:

What level of English proficiency has been achieved?
Are difficulties present in both the native language and English?
Did the student experience delays in learning to talk or interruptions in their education?
Have structured reading instruction and interventions been provided?
Have cognitive functions such as rapid automatized naming (RAN), phonological memory, basic phonemic awareness, and phonemic proficiency (advanced phonemic awareness) been assessed?

What is Cross-Linguistic Transfer?

Researchers Geva and Wiener suggest that understanding the typical development of learning to speak and read in a second language can be helpful in determining the causes for reading difficulty issues with English learners

Cross-linguistic transfer occurs when children are able to use knowledge of one language to assist the learning of a second language

Educators will want to know what elements of the first language are similar to or different from the second language and can aid or hinder English language development

Children at risk of Dyslexia may have challenges with this positive transfer, especially as language deficits are often associated with Dyslexia

Even for languages with fewer opportunities for positive cross-linguistic transfer, students can still be taught the elements of English that differ from their primary language

Young students, particularly in grades K-2, can learn these language differences quickly

Persistent Difficulty Despite Access to Evidence-Based Instruction

There are two key warning signs that may indicate an English learner’s underlying learning difficulty with reading:

Students continue to experience persistent difficulties acquiring new language differences, e.g., phonemes not consistent with their native language, despite consistent access to high quality, evidence-based instruction within an MTSS framework
Students demonstrate more difficulties than their peers with similar language backgrounds, despite consistent access to high-quality, evidence-based instruction within an MTSS framework

Research shows that English learners benefit from instruction in all tiers that is:

Systematic and direct, structured instruction
Evidence-based
Aligned to the five essential components of reading as outlined by the National Reading Panel

There is no need to wait until students’ oral language proficiency is fully developed to assess English learners who are struggling in reading and provide them with evidence-based interventions to address their foundational skills needs