Page 74 - Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Resource Guide

Special Education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12 Draft
Students who do not speak English, or who speak a variety of English that is significantly different from the variety used for instruction in Ontario schools, may require focused educational supports to assist them in attaining proficiency in English. Every curriculum document, including The Kindergarten Program (2016), has a section on supporting English language learners.
During their first few years in Ontario schools, English language learners may receive support through one of two distinct programs from teachers who specialize in meeting their language-learning needs: ESL programs
or ELD programs. Even with such support, however, rates of language acquisition vary: it can take considerably longer for some students than for others to become fluent in English. In a supportive learning environment, most students will develop oral language proficiency quickly. Most English language learners who have developed oral proficiency in everyday English will nevertheless require instructional scaffolding to meet curriculum expectations. Research has shown that it takes five to seven years for most English language learners to catch up to their English-speaking peers in their ability to use English for academic purposes.
The STEP: Steps to English Proficiency (2015) framework is one of a number of resources designed to assist teachers in supporting a growing demographic of English language learners in Ontario schools. As a framework for assessing and monitoring the language acquisition and literacy development of English language learners across the Ontario curriculum, the STEP resource can be used for both initial and ongoing assessment purposes. Information gathered using this resource can help in-school teams in their review of an English language learner’s progress.
Some English language learners may have had limited or interrupted formal schooling. Students who have large gaps in education, or, in some cases, no previous access to education, may appear to have special education needs. In assessing these students, educators should take the following factors into consideration:
• current access to programming, such as ELD programs, to address their literacy and numeracy needs as well as their need to develop proficiency in English
• educational background (e.g., previous school experiences, including length of school day; attendance patterns; languages spoken)
• medical history (e.g., need for hearing or vision testing) C8