Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children With and Without Special Needs
An Erikson Professional Development Learning Series for practitioners working with young children (birth through 5) who come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their families.
Register for all or some of the workshops in this learning series to strengthen your professional knowledge and skills. Taught through lectures, discussions, and small group work, the workshops are structured to enable you to immediately apply what you learn to your work.
All workshops offer 3 contact hours and run from 9 a.m. to noon.
Register for individual sessions
W672 Developing Assets vs. Remediating Deficits
Friday, April 27, 2012; 9 a.m. – Noon
3 CPDUs
To be effective, instructional practices need to be tailored to the needs of young dual language learners. We will discuss strategies for utilizing home language, teaching English, adapting curriculum, developing family partnerships, and connecting to community services. The workshop also will address system-level issues such as work force development, program models, and articulation with early intervention/schools.
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Recently Completed Sessions
W670 Effective Assessment Practices for Dual Language Learners
Friday, February 10, 2012
This workshop provides a framework for assessing young dual language learners in linguistically and culturally responsive ways. We will discuss several assessment approaches and their relative strengths and weaknesses, as well as best practice recommendations and challenges in their implementation.
W671 Dual Language Development and Disorders
Saturday, March 24, 2012; 9 a.m. – Noon
Learn about formal and informal tools to assess language proficiency of dual language learners. You will practice a variety of ways to evaluate language across social and pre-academic contexts and use the assessments to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate individualized education programs (IEPs).
About the instructor
Patricia Chamberlain, M.S., consults with school districts and agencies on educational opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse young children with and without special needs and their families. She teaches courses related to special education and early childhood at the University of Illinois–Chicago and Erikson Institute. She also has served as a bilingual teacher, professional development specialist at the Illinois Resource Center, bilingual special education supervisor, and director of early learners programs. She currently is a member of the board of directors for Two Rivers Headstart and of the Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Committee of the Illinois Early Learning Council.