Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan is a bilingual speech and language pathologist, a certified academic language therapist, and a qualified instructor. She is the President of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas and a Research Associate at the University of Houston, Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics.

Literacy and reading instruction are uniquely poised at the crossroads of language development, a child’s ability to initiate self-learning, and the academic needs of the classroom. So how do speech language pathologists effectively advance both reading skills and communication goals?

Join Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan as she shares how every SLP can support literacy development and ensure that the needs of diverse learners are met. Structured Literacy is a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to literacy instruction that encompasses key components for teaching literacy, including phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Dr. Spencer is a senior scientist and director of the Juniper Gardens Children’s Project at University of Kansas and holds faculty appointments in the Departments of Applied Behavioral Sciences, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, and Special Education. Drawing from speech-language pathology, applied linguistics, education, and behavior analysis, she concentrates her efforts on the oral academic language that serves as a foundation to the reading and writing of Pre-K to 3rd grade students, with and without disabilities.

We live our lives and think in story format. This ability has evolved alongside human development and has facilitated the emergence and transfer of complex language. How can we leverage this innate drive to enhance the communication of our caseloads and at the same time honor their culture and language heritage? 

Drawing from behavioral and cognitive sciences, join Dr. Trina Spencer as she introduces the concept of manipulative frames and other mechanisms of learning that undergird the design of potent bilingual interventions.

Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin  is a Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at California State University, Sacramento.  Dr. Roseberry-McKibbin is also currently a part-time itinerant SLP in San Juan Unified School District where she provides direct services to students ages 3-18.  Dr. Roseberry-McKibbin’s primary research interests are in the areas of assessment and treatment of culturally and linguistically diverse students with communication disorders as well as service delivery to students from low-income backgrounds.

When bilingual children present with Developmental Language Disorders, creating intervention materials that work well is tricky because they need to take into account aspects of both languages, a child’s age and experience, and progress in the classroom. The good news is that specific strategies do exist that meet these challenges head-on.

 Join Dr. Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin as she shares scientifically-based approaches to effectively teach academic vocabulary, concluding with practical recommendations for methods and materials that can be used to support academic success for these students.