2. Seminar Agenda
• Introduction
• Bilingualism
• Standard educational curriculum in lower grades of US elementary
schools
• Extracurricular activities
• Weekly planning
• Motivation
• Intervention Methods
• Questions and Anwers
3. Introduction
• Marjola Roshi, MA, CAGS, NCSP, Ed.D Candidate
• Licensed School Psychologist in Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont,
Maine, New York, Florida
• Member of Massachusetts Association of School
Psychologists
• Member of National Association of School
Psychologists
• Over 10 years of experience working with kids with
multi-lingual and multi-cultural backgrounds
• Languages: Albanian, English, Italian, Russian, Spanish
6. Bilingualism
Benefits – Executive Functioning
Higher-Level
thinking
Improved
attention
Improved cognitive
resiliency/inhibition
and switching
between tasks
More effective
control and
functionality under
duress
Improved spacial
working memory
Improved functioning in
multitasking operating
environments
7. Bilingualism
Benefits – Social Functioning
Delays dementia in old age
Improved understanding and
functioning in social
environments
Enhanced abilities to learn another
language
8. Bilingualism
Negative Effects
Reduced expressed vocabulary in the initial stages
of learning
Conceptual vocabulary is developed as well
or better than in monolingual peers in the
same age group
Code Mixing
Unintentional switching between languages
9. Bilingualism
Myths
Multi-lingual children are more likely to have language
difficulties and disorders
Bilingualism DOES NOT increase language
difficulties and disorders
This is a common perception in parents
primarily due to delays in initial speech and
reduced vocabulary in early development
Research has shown that this perceived
difference in vocabulary is eliminated when
measuring conceptual vocabulary
Petitto & Holowka, 2002
Paradis, Genesee, & Crago, 2010
Marchman et al., 2010
Anaya, 2013
10. Bilingualism
Myths
Learning in two languages confuses children and
reduces their cognitive abilities
Correctly developed bilingualism improves mental flexibility,
auditory reception of language, and accelerates development
of linguistic abstractionism
Research has shown that when children
received 50% of education in their native
language through 6th grade, they performed
better then their peers who were educated in
English only
Hakuta, 1986
Albert & Obler, 1976
Ramirez, 1991
Collier, 1995
Cummins, 1994
Simultaneous education in two languages reduces
scholastic achievement
11. Bilingualism
Myths
Children can always learn the language later and
achieve the same level of fluency
Research has shown clear benefits of simultaneous
bilingualism over sequential bilingualism
Lew-Williams & Fernald, 2007,
2010
Increased vocabulary
Improved grammar
Children who learned their native language as a second language
demonstrated difficulty in learning and proper usage of proper
conjugations
Children learning their native language simultaneously with English
were able to easily use proper conjugations and endings
Improved real-time language processing
12. Bilingualism and Cognitive Abilities
Achievement Trends
Students learning in both native
and English language
simultaneously demonstrated
higher English reading
performance than those who
learned only in English
Students that withdrew from or
did not participate in bilingual
education programs
demonstrated much lower
English reading performance
13. Planning Extracurricular Activities
Elementary school standards
Elementary school students spend 6-7 hours per day in school
Classes are broken up in throughout the day so that the child’s educational load
was mixed with art, sport, or active rest periods
15. Parents must determine the main direction of extracurricular
activities: Academics, Sports, or Art
Constantly monitor performance in schools in order to
CORRECTLY PRIORITIZE extracurricular activities
Planning Extracurricular Activities
Understanding the limits
16. Ensure you have correct understanding of your child’s strengths and
weaknesses
Verbal or perceptual reasoning (Social Sciences versus Exact
Sciences)
Social emotional vulnerabilities (Shyness, Overly Pleasing, Afraid
Executive functioning concerns (Attentiveness, concentration)
Limit sports to 1-2 days per week
Provide free active play time every day
Plan social networking events or playdates once a week
Planning Extracurricular Activities
Understanding the limits
17. Mix cognitive activities with ones more physical/entertaining
For example, Russian language arts with arts and crafts
This time does not count as available/free time as the child does
not have the opportunity to choose an activity
Schedule athletics in the middle of the week to provide the child with
the opportunity to rest the mind
When determining the child’s load, count all travel time as busy time
Planning Extracurricular Activities
Understanding the limits
18. Ensure you have correct understanding of your child’s strengths and
weaknesses
Which activity they have higher proclivities towards: Soccer,
Swimming, Art, Dancing
Planning Extracurricular Activities
Understanding the limits
Social emotional vulnerabilities (Shyness, Overly Pleasing, Afraid
Executive functioning concerns (Attentiveness, concentration)
Limit academic extracurricular activities to 1-2 days per week
Provide free active play time every day
Plan social networking events or playdates once a week
19. When planning extracurriculars, ensure to rotate academic with
physical activities
For elementary schools students, extracurricular activities should not
exceed two hours per day
The load should progress with age and cognitive development
Planning Extracurricular Activities
Understanding the limits
20. Planning Extracurricular Activities
Example of a weekly plan with maximum load
Date Date Date Date Date Date Date
Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
6:30-7:00
Wake up, hygiene, get
dressed
Wake up, hygiene, get
dressed
Wake up, hygiene, get
dressed
Wake up, hygiene, get
dressed
Wake up, hygiene, get
dressed
7:00-7:30 Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast
7:30-8:00 Arrival At School Arrival At School Arrival At School Arrival At School Arrival At School
Wake up, hygiene, get
dressed
8:00-9:00 Math Math Math Math Math Breakfast
9:00-9:30 Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Travel to Sunville
9:30-10:00 P.E./L P.E./L P.E./L P.E./L P.E./L Русский
10:00-10:34 Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing Русский
10:34-11:04 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Шахматы
11:04-11:30 Writing Writing Writing Writing Writing Шахматы
11:30-12:00 Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading Обед/Перемена
12:00-1:00 Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading Живопись
1:00-1:30 Art Music P.E. Media Guidance Я познаю мир
1:30-2:00 Science Science Science Science Science Я познаю мир
2:05-2:15 Dismissal from School Dismissal from School Dismissal from School Free time Dismissal from School Travel to Piano
2:15-3:15 Free time Free time Free time Espaňol Free time Piano (2:30-3:00)
3:15-3:40 Free time Free time Free time Free time Free time Travel Home (3:00)
3:15-4:00 Travel to Sunville Travel to Sunville Travel to Sunville Travel to Dance (3:40) Free time
4:00-5:00 Русский Piano (until 4:30) Русский Dance Free time
5:00-6:00 Шахматы Swimming (5:30-6:00) Theater Dance (until 5:30) Swimming (5:30-6:00)
6:00-6:30 Travel Home Travel Home Travel Home Travel Home Free time
6:30-7:00 Free time Free time Free time Free time Free time
7:000-7:30 Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner
7:30-8:00 Homework/Reading Homework/Reading Homework/Reading Homework/Reading Homework/Reading
8:00-830 Free time Free time Free time Free time Free time
8:30-9:00 Get Ready for Bed Get Ready for Bed Get Ready for Bed Get Ready for Bed Get Ready for Bed Get Ready for Bed Get Ready for Bed
Notes
21. Motivation
Impacting factors
Motivation depends on several main factors:
I. Personality compatibility between the child and the parent
II. Parent’s ability to properly identify and understand intrinsic and
extrinsic motivational factors of the child
III. Emotional intelligence and resiliency of the child
22. Motivation
Main Approaches
Four main approaches to motivation
I. Focuses on reasons or purposes students perceive for achieving
II. Promotes the reasons individuals attribute to events can determine
how they behave in the future
III. Need achievement and self-worth motivation
IV. Self-determination through parents and teachers
Usage of these approaches is determined by the factors discussed
previously
23. Behavior management
Main Approaches
Self-regulatory behavior can be enhanced with appropriate
behavioral management and training from parents
I. Establish a respectful parent-child relationship
i. First be the parent, then a friend
II. Your behavior as a parent serves as an example for the child
i. No Double Standards
III. Use clear language and categorize behavior in two to three
categories
i. Appropriate, expected
ii. Inappropriate
24. Provide CLEAR AND CONSISTENT consequences for positive or
negative behaviors
I. Honest praise for good behavior
i. Never bribe the child
II. Positive behavior reinforcement
i. Child preferred quality time with parent
ii. Do not provide a preferred activity and keep promises to a minimum)
ii. Not the same as “take away” (if the child does not listen, do not provide with
preferred activity)
III. Provided the child with guided choices about free activities or chores
i. Cleaning and organizing their room is the child's responsibility
i. It is not a choice, but a given, and it helps the child with learning the
concepts of responsibility, pride of achievement/job well done, and
planning and organization
Behavior management
Main Approaches
25. How can you help?
I. Enrich both languages irrespective of the dominance level
II. Provide high level mediation
i. Parent and teacher mediation models that enhance guided participation help
children reach higher level of thinking, executive functioning and social relations
i. Enrich vocabulary by explaining them the meaning of the words on daily basis
i. Transformation-change of from…what happens when a caterpillar becomes a
butterfly?
III. Use of open ended questions – Who? What? When? Why? How? – instead of guided
answers increases the child’s comprehension and thinking abilities
ii. Enrich Conceptual Formulation by helping the child draw connections between old
and new knowledge
i. Learning – absorption of information and accessing it as needed
ii. Expand: absorption of information using words and being able to use the
information verbally in the future
Furstein, 1980
Example:
Example:
