Conclusion and a Caveat

By Janette Klingner, University of Colorado at Boulder

In these blog entries I have attempted to help educators understand some of the assumptions behind RTI that can be problematic for English language learners (ELLs), challenges schools face when implementing RTI with ELLs, and struggles faced by ELLs while learning to read. My hope is that educators will be less likely to misjudge their ELLs and inappropriately refer them to special education.

However, I must offer a caveat. Some ELLs truly do have LD and would benefit from the extra support they would receive in special education. I do not want my advice to be construed as suggesting teachers should wait until ELLs are fully proficient in English before considering whether they might have LD. In some schools the tendency has been to take and “wait and see” approach and delay addressing the possibility that ELLs are experiencing reading difficulties due to language or learning disabilities.

Because the characteristics associated with language acquisition can mirror those of LD, school personnel have wanted to avoid the possibility of incorrectly placing a child in special education. Certainly I share the concerns behind this approach; however, just as it is a problem to identify a child as having a disability who does not, it is also a problem to hold off on providing interventions to ELLs who really need them.

Thus, I suggest following the suggestions outlined on this blog so that fewer inappropriate referrals are made. Then we can feel more confident that the few students who are still experiencing difficulties will benefit from explicit, intensive interventions above and beyond what they are receiving in their general education classrooms.

Adapted from: Klingner, J., & Geisler, D. (2008). Helping classroom reading teachers distinguish between language acquisition and learning disabilities. In J. K. Klingner, J. Hoover, & L. Baca (Eds.), English Language Learners who struggle with reading: Language acquisition or learning disabilities? (pp. 57-73). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.