Prompting All Students to Learn: Examining Dynamic Assessment of Special Needs and Typical Students in a Prekindergarten Inclusive French Program

Abstract

This study examined a teacher's prompting strategies and the use of dynamic assessment (DA) in an inclusive prekindergarten French program. Prior research has shown that DA is an effective method to assess both foreign language learning and first language development for typically developing students and for students with special needs, as well as for identifying bilingual students with language impairments. Data were collected from videorecordings of class sessions, DA scores, and a questionnaire on which the French teacher reported her classroom prompting strategies and predicted students’ needs for prompting on the DA. Scores on the DA and the French teacher's predictions of student prompting needs were analyzed through independent t tests. In addition, 30 videorecordings of class sessions were analyzed for prompting strategies. The results indicated that DA can provide insights about the learning of typically developing students and special needs students in a prekindergarten French program. Although students with special needs required both more prompting and more practice time than typically developing students, all special needs students in this study were able to provide at least one second language response during the DA.

Making exemption the exception, not the rule: Inclusion of all students in foreign language education

“…Findings show that both typical and special needs students learned L2 vocabulary, but students with special needs did not perform as well as their typical peers. This finding aligns with previous studies indicating that special needs students may not learn at the same pace as typically developing students; however, they can experience success when adequate time and support are provided by teachers (Camilleri et al, 2014; Genesee et al, 2004; Regalla & Peker, 2016, 2017; Regalla et al, 2017; Simon‐Cereijido & Gutierrez‐Clellen, 2014).…”

“…Research in the field has also begun to challenge these assumptions with a focus on students' strengths in favor of challenges (Genesee et al, 2004; Peker et al, 2018; Regalla & Peker, 2015, 2017) and has shown young learners benefit more from mixed‐ability groupings or classes (Davin & Donato, 2013). The findings of this study raise the argument that instructional decisions should be made with a focus on students' abilities rather than disabilities.…”

“…In fact, research has shown that students with disabilities are able to acquire more than one language (Bruck, 1982; Crutcheley et al, 1997). In addition, recent study findings indicated that students with special needs could be successful with appropriate accommodations and teaching methods (Andreou & Segklia, 2019; Camilleri et al, 2014; Genesee et al, 2004; Peker et al, 2018; Regalla & Peker, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018; Sparks, 2009). Some research has focused on the use of the L1 as a support for students with special needs learning an L2 (Simon‐Cereijido & Gutierrez‐Clellen, 2014) while other studies have focused on instructional methods, such as multisensory learning, that benefit students with special needs (Peker et al, 2018; Schneider & Evers, 2009; Sparks et al, 1998).…”

“…Students with special needs “are exempted from foreign language study solely because they have been diagnosed as having special learning needs” (Wight, 2015, p. 39). The question as to whether or not there are valid reasons for continuing with the practice of exemptions must be explored, considering students with special needs can be successful in foreign language classes when appropriate teaching methods and multimodal instruction are provided (Andreou & Segklia, 2019; Peker et al, 2018; Regalla & Peker, 2017, 2018; Sparks, 2009).…”

Iowa World Language teachers’ attitudes regarding inclusion

“…DiFino & Lombardino, 2004;Skinner & Smith, 2011). Additionally, while there has been considerable research into general education teachers' attitudes regarding teaching SWDs, the existing research in WL settings has been limited to the investigation of the characteristics of language learners with disabilities (e.g., Sparks, 2001Sparks, , 2009Sparks, , 2016 and effective accommodations and modifications for the WL classroom (e.g., Regalla & Peker, 2017;Tolbert et al, 2015), but little of that research has extended to examining the prevalence of WL study by learners with disabilities nor WL teachers' perceptions and attitudes toward teaching SWDs. Some researchers have begun to examine one or two WL teachers' experiences (e.g., Arnett et al, 2014;Hendry, 2009) and the needs within a specific school district (e.g., Batista-Arias, 2011) or individual WL teacher education program (e.g., Arnett & Mady, 2017;Greer, 2015), but larger studies of WL teachers' attitudes toward inclusion are lacking.…”