Learning a second language provides many cognitive benefits but during the process of becoming bilingual students may experience challenges in school. In the process of becoming bilingual, students navigate more than one phonological and lexical system when they read and write.

When students are in this period, teachers may have difficulty differentiating between student difficulties due to language acquisition and learning difficulties. This 1-day session will examine three areas: characteristics of English learners with and without learning difficulties in reading and writing, assessment, and effective literacy and language instruction.

Specific session objectives are:

• Participants will understand the impact of learning in a second language on language and literacy development.
• Participants will be able to identify the characteristics of second language learners with and without learning disabilities.
• Participants will be able to identify assessments and procedures that differentiate between a learning difficulty and language learning.
• Participants will be able to identify instructional practices that support second language learners with and without learning difficulties.

This workshop is part of the Special Needs Certificate Program at the CEESA Conference.