Teaching CLD Students

Amy Peters, Jeremy Thoman,

Lisa Dodds, Ben Eckelberry
Clay Center/Tecumseh North
Misconceptions
A CLD student who appears to speak English well is a
fluent speaker.
A CLD student who appears to speak English well is
able to read and write at the same level.
A CLD student who is silent in class does not
understand anything.
A CLD student who reads aloud well understands
everything.
Misconceptions
A CLD student who can converse comfortably in English (i.e., social language)
is not necessarily fully fluent in English. Oral language skills often precede
reading and writing skills. Gaining fluency takes time and exposure to the
language in many different contexts.

A CLD student may converse comfortably in English, but not be able to read
and write at a similar level. Research suggests that it can take up to five years
of English language instruction before a CLD student will be able to read and
write proficiently in English (i.e., academic language). Research also indicates
that CLD students who have little or no prior education and who may be
illiterate in their first language may take seven to ten years to achieve grade
level proficiency (Thomas & Collier, 2002).
Misconceptions
A CLD student who does not participate in class discussions is still acquiring an
understanding of the English language and its grammatical structures.
During this "silent period," CLD students are learning vocabulary and common patterns
and structure of the English language. CLD students may know the answer to a question
because they have studied the concept in their native language; however, they may not
have sufficient skills in the English language to produce an answer that can be understood
by others. Typically listening comprehension precedes speaking, reading, and writing
fluency (Krashen, 1983).
A CLD student who can decode (sound out) words while reading aloud may not necessarily
understand the meaning of the text. Some CLD students have learned the sound/letter
correspondence in English. They may sound as if they understand what they read;
informal assessments can be done to know if understanding is occurring.
Biography Cards & Information Gathering
Student Biography Cards are an easy tool to gather
information on CLD students
Biography Cards can be used throughout the year and can
be adjusted/adapted for each student
Biography Cards can give us basic information about a CLD
students L1, level of L2 proficiency, a home life snapshot,
and an academic snapshot
Educators can use Student Biography Cards to create
lessons that are student-centered and are appropriate for
student abilities
Classroom Procedures
CLD students should be provided with materials in their L1 as needed
CLD students should be allowed to converse in their L1 as they acquire
their L2
Paraeducators who are working with CLD students can also converse with
them using the L1 (if the Para knows the L1)
Working in small groups versus whole class can be beneficial for CLD
students depending on their abilities/needs and lesson
Modifications & Strategies
Provide materials in CLD students L1 as needed
Student choice - they can draw their responses to an activity if their
English writing proficiency is lower
Students can use L1 in lesson activities (like the Linking Language Activity we
just had you do! Or DOTS Chart, U-CE ME, Foldables, etc.)
Utilizing differentiation strategies for lesson activities
Find culturally relevant source materials that address a students
biography to create a more engaging and meaningful assignment
Assessments can be modified in a similar fashion to the modifications
made for non-CLD students who have LD/BD
Questions to Consider
What are some assumptions or biases that you hold about CLD students?
What are some assumptions or biases that you hold about second
language acquisitions?
How have these biases been found invalid?