Speech-language pathologist and educator collaboration in literacy instruction: Establishing a shared definition through principle-based concept analysis

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe role of speech and language therapists (SLTs) in supporting literacy in Ireland is especially timely to consider given the expansion of multi‐tiered systems of support and the increased provision of structured literacy instruction in schools. To advance SLT–teacher collaboration in literacy, we must first explore Irish SLTs’ perspectives. Do they perceive themselves as having the required skills and confidence to support both children with literacy difficulties and the teachers who work with them?AimsThis study aimed to explore Irish SLTs’ current practice and confidence in supporting literacy, as well as their readiness to collaborate with teachers to enhance children's literacy outcomes.Methods and ProceduresParticipants were members of the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists’ Special Interest Group (SIG) in Developmental Language Disorder. Thirty‐five SIG members completed an anonymous online survey, adapted from previous questionnaires, designed to explore SLTs' literacy practices, perceived scope of practice and confidence across different literacy domains. The survey also examined participants' engagement in consultative models of service provision.Outcomes and ResultsMost SLTs felt that supporting children with literacy difficulties fell within their scope of practice; however, only a minority reported overall confidence to work within the literacy domain. Confidence varied across distinct areas of literacy, with participants reporting strong confidence in phonological awareness, vocabulary and morphology ‐ key areas of structured literacy in which teachers often need guidance. In contrast, they reported low confidence in supporting spelling, which a majority of SLTs considered outside of their remit. The findings show clear support among SLTs for the consultative model of service provision, both in terms of its value and feasibility, yet most participants did not include literacy in their consultative work. Overall, there was no clear consensus about the potential contributions SLTs could make to supporting literacy instruction or the multi‐tiered systems of support model in schools.Conclusions and ImplicationsThese findings highlight the need for interprofessional education (IE) initiatives for prospective teachers and SLTs to enhance multi‐tiered systems of literacy support in schools. Structured literacy offers a focussed, equitable domain for such collaboration. Future research could explore SLT‐teacher partnerships and the development of research scholarship in this area. Strengthening SLTs' role in structured literacy in Ireland could provide a meaningful avenue for interprofessional practice and improve literacy outcomes for children.WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?What is already known on this subjectWe know that SLTs have unique linguistic knowledge in phonology, morphology and syntax, which are key domains of structured literacy. While an increasing body of international research is exploring the role of SLTs in literacy instruction, there remains a notable gap in the literature within the Irish context.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThe study considers Irish SLTs’ current practice and confidence in relation to supporting literacy outcomes. It shows a lack of clear consensus about the potential contributions SLTs can make to supporting literacy instruction and the multi‐tiered systems of support model in schools and opens discussion on literacy as a domain of interprofessional education and practice in Ireland.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?We propose that Irish SLTs could offer more guidance to teachers and schools in relation to distinct areas of structured literacy instruction, as well as extend their collaborations with special education teachers (SETs) who work with dyslexic learners. However, without sufficient preparation, such collaborations have already been shown to be difficult to achieve. Our findings add to the growing support for the development of interprofessional education for prospective teachers and SLTs, and we propose that structured literacy could provide an equitable focus that such initiatives need.

ObjectiveThis scoping review investigates how knowledge and skills are assessed in the information literacy (IL) instruction for students in physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology, regardless of whether the instruction was given by a librarian. The objectives were to discover what assessment measures were used, determine whether these assessment methods were tested for reliability and validity, and provide librarians with guidance on assessment methods to use in their instruction in evidence-based practice contexts.MethodsA scoping review methodology was used. A systematic search strategy was run in Ovid MEDLINE and adapted for CINAHL; EMBASE; Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) (EBSCO); Library and Information Science s (LISA); Library, Information Science & Technology s (LISTA); and Proquest Theses and Dissertations from 1990 to January 16, 2017. Forty articles were included for data extraction.ResultsThree major themes emerged: types of measures used, type and context of librarian involvement, and skills and outcomes described. Thirty-four measures of attitude and thirty-seven measures of performance were identified. Course products were the most commonly used type of performance measure. Librarians were involved in almost half the studies, most frequently as instructor, but also as author or assessor. Information literacy skills such as question formulation and database searching were described in studies that did not involve a librarian.ConclusionLibrarians involved in instructional assessment can use rubrics such as the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) when grading assignments to improve the measurement of knowledge and skills in course-integrated IL instruction. The Adapted Fresno Test could be modified to better suit the real-life application of IL knowledge and skills.

Enhancing Language Services to Native American Children: A Look From the Inside

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have multiple roles and responsibilities related to language and literacy instruction in schools. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to analyze school-based SLPs' perceptions related to effective language and early literacy instruction for pre-K children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The goal of this study was to inform development of a new language and early literacy professional development program for inclusive pre-K teachers. Eight school-based SLPs participated in a 1-hr virtual focus group conducted via Zoom recording technology. The researchers used a conventional content analysis approach to analyze the focus group data and identify themes from the discussion. The researchers developed two themes: (a) SLPs identified repeated exposure to books, peer interaction, and teaching vocabulary with visual supports and props as key elements of language and literacy instruction that can be integrated into a variety of contexts, and (b) SLPs want more time with parents and teachers to support their book reading and model specific language strategies. SLPs identified several instructional practices inclusive pre-K teachers could be taught to use during professional development programs to support the emergent literacy development of children with DLD. They also discussed the need for ongoing collaboration between SLPs, caregivers, and teachers to maximize children's early language and literacy experiences. Future research should explore the impact of partnerships with caregivers and teachers on children's language and literacy outcomes.

Successful collaboration among speech and language therapists (SLTs) and teachers fosters the creation of communication friendly classrooms that maximize children’s spoken and written language learning. However, these groups of professionals may have insufficient opportunity in their professional study to develop the shared knowledge, perceptions and attitudes required for effective collaboration. This study examined the knowledge and perceptions of student teachers and student SLTs in the areas of language concepts, junior school literacy curriculum, service delivery and professional collaboration. An online survey was completed by 58 student primary school teachers and 37 student SLTs in their final year of professional study. The results indicated that these groups possessed limited understanding of each other’s expertise in literacy curriculum and spoken language concepts. Both groups demonstrated minimal knowledge of spoken–written language relationships and how SLTs can assist to develop children’s orthographic knowledge. Participants demonstrated acceptance of indirect methods of classroom-based service delivery (e.g. SLT acting as a consultant) but were less accepting of direct methods of classroom-based service delivery (e.g. shared teaching). Both groups also reported minimal experience with SLT–teacher collaboration during their pre-service education. The data suggest pre-service inter-professional education (IPE) with a focus on children’s early literacy learning is warranted to prepare prospective SLTs and teachers for collaborative instruction that enhances children’s communication.

Parents offer a unique perspective as they may view literacy instruction through the lens of its direct impact on their child's daily life. Further, they are likely to provide insight into the interactions between the perceived effectiveness of instruction and their expectations for their child's success. The purposes of the current investigation were to explore perceptions of parents of children with intellectual disability (ID) related to their child's literacy instruction in schools and understand parental expectations for their child's literacy performance. In the current investigation, we surveyed 211 parents of children with ID in one state within the USA to identify their perceptions related to their child's literacy outcomes and instruction. The survey instrument contained 25 items including 9 multiple-choice, 12 multiple-selection, 2 open-response and 2 rank order items. Data indicated significant differences across grade bands related to the type of skills students engage in learning, the importance of specific literacy skills and the challenges or barriers for students to engage in literacy instruction. The overwhelming majority of parents reported their child learning to read as very important and believe there is a difference in life outcomes between children who can read written words and those who cannot. Parents of elementary school children report barriers of disruptive behaviour, the inability of children to remain seated and distractibility more so than parents of secondary students. Parents of high school students reported a lack of instructional time more often than parents of middle and elementary school. While parents across grade bands reported the importance of literacy skills for students with ID and instruction in reading comprehension, listening comprehension and vocabulary, some differences were noted. Only half the parents reported an increased focus on literacy instruction, including on essential skills (e.g. decoding), in the earlier grades. Problem behaviour and motivation served as barriers to literacy for elementary students, and a lack of instructional time served as a barrier to writing for high school students.

With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards by most states, the use of digital tools in literacy and language arts instruction has become of critical importance to educators. These changes produce a need for a better understanding of how literacy and language arts teachers can successfully integrate digital tools into their instruction and the types of knowledge they employ as they do so. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present the Technology Integration Planning Cycle for Literacy and Language Arts to support teachers with integrating digital technology into literacy instruction. This instructional planning cycle identifies seven critical elements that influence literacy teachers' instructional planning involving digital technology and the success or failure of the resulting classroom instruction. A classroom example is provided to illustrate the instructional planning process.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the views of teachers in early year levels about the role and scope for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to work on literacy support in schools. Method: Sixty-one teachers from mainstream government schools across Victoria, Australia, completed an anonymous, online survey. Result: Although many respondents reported knowing that SLPs support the literacy learning of some students in their school, they had limited awareness of the scope of speech-language pathology practice in literacy instruction and intervention. Conclusion: Limited awareness of SLPs’ expertise and scope of practice may be leading to missed opportunities for collaborative practices. In order to capitalise on SLPs’ skill set for the benefit of students, the speech-language pathology profession should better promote and raise awareness of the various ways in which SLPs can collaborate within interprofessional literacy teams in schools.

Purpose: Literacy instruction is within the scope of practice of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and is a documented service provided among school-based SLPs. The purpose of this investigation was to replicate Davis and Murza's (2019) study of Virginia school-based SLPs in another geographic location. This study gathered information regarding Midwestern SLPs' knowledge of disciplinary literacy and confidence providing services to school-aged children and adolescents with literacy goals and aligning their practice to educational standards. Method: Ninety-nine Midwestern school-based SLPs completed a 26-question online survey. The survey was replicated from Davis and Murza's (2019) investigation with a modification to include additional demographic information about participants. Results: The majority of school-based SLPs in this study were not familiar with the term disciplinary literacy but desired continuing education on the topic. A moderate relationship was found between SLPs' confidence in their ability to implement language therapy that impacts students' literacy achievement in both kindergarten through third grade and fourth through fifth grades, and the percentage of students on caseload with Individualized Education Program goals connected to literacy achievement. Conclusions: When compared to Davis and Murza's (2019) study, there are similarities noted, such as Midwestern SLPs are not completely comfortable or confident with implementing literacy intervention. The differences between these two studies exist in the relationship between experience and confidence in supporting literacy achievement. Additional information about the preprofessional coursework offerings, particularly those focused on adolescents, is of interest for future studies to understand the potential impacts on SLPs' confidence levels.

Purpose This feasibility study explored literacy instruction for children with autism in an area of socioeconomic disadvantage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Fifty-nine autistic children (5–12 years) participated in a baseline assessment before being assigned to one of two instruction conditions or a control group. The first instruction group participants received a total of 13 weeks of literacy instruction using ABRACADABRA (a free online web application), delivered by a speech-language pathologist. The second instruction condition also received a total 13 weeks of ABRACADABRA literacy instruction, supplemented with shared book reading. The control group continued their business-as-usual school and other activities over the 13 weeks. Result Children who participated in instruction made statistically significant gains in their nonword reading skills from pre- to post-instruction with a large effect size. There were no other statistically significant results at the conservative alpha level utilised. However, effect sizes for all reading outcome measures were similar to previous research using ABRACADABRA with autistic children (with medium to large effect sizes observed across various reading accuracy and reading comprehension skills). Conclusion Further research on literacy instruction delivered via via in person sessions and telepractice for children with autism is greatly needed. These findings contribute to the scarce knowledge base of literacy instruction for children with autism and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this group.

The roles of teachers and related service providers (e.g., speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists) are vital to skill acquisition and meaningful access to the general education curriculum for students who have been identified as having significant or extensive support needs. However, often delivery of instruction can become fragmented and disjointed as time for service providers to collaborate with team members is limited in rural schools. As a result, students with more extensive support needs may not receive adequate access to systemic and meaningful literacy instruction. This article will identify the obstacles as well as three strategies special education teams can use to improve communication and collaboration.

ABSTRACTAs collaborative efforts among professionals have become more widespread in literacy instruction and intervention, there has been an increase in a fragmented delivery of services to students. This qualitative inquiry was designed to assess what, if any, team-based approaches were being conducted among professionals who focus on language and literacy instruction in elementary school settings. Results demonstrated that literacy professionals and speech-language pathologists, individuals designated to support students in the area of literacy achievement, reported varied time in coordination of collaborative efforts, recognized both rewards and challenges associated with collaboration, and perceived their efforts to be mostly multidisciplinary in implementation of services. Strategies for expliciting utilizing team-based approaches among professionals are discussed.

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA Convention Coverage1 Aug 2010Speech-Language Program Offers Tantalizing Choices Shari RobertsonPhD, CCC-SLP Shari Robertson Google Scholar More articles by this author , PhD, CCC-SLP https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.ACC4.15092010.21 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In The theme of the 2010 ASHA Convention, “Leadership Into New Frontiers,” is particularly appropriate as we gather in Philadelphia—a city with a rich tradition of hosting leaders of revolutionary change. The speech-language pathology program committee has done an outstanding job developing innovative invited sessions focusing on leadership across a variety of applications (for a list of committee members, visit the Convention section on ASHA’s website). In addition to including nationally known leaders in the field, the 2010 program features a large number of international speakers, esteemed experts in related fields, and cross-disciplinary exploration of topics. Convention attendees will be able to choose from more than 1,800 sessions—short courses, poster presentations, seminars, and technical sessions—a veritable smorgasbord of tantalizing choices. The following are just some of the tempting tastes Convention-goers can sample in Philadelphia. The Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS) Series. ELVS is a multidisciplinary project funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council involving Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, La Trobe University, and Melbourne University. Sheena Reilly, an international leader in children’s research, will present the results of this study in terms of both language (The Early Language in Victoria Study [ELVS]: 4-year-old outcomes) and stuttering (Stuttering Onset and Recovery: Early Language in Victoria Study). Patricia Eadie, honorary research fellow at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, will co-present the session on language outcomes. The Disciplinary Literacy Series. This unique three-part sequence of sessions will focus on the new frontier of content-area reading instruction for middle-school and secondary students. Don’t miss this opportunity to review the current evidence and explore intervention techniques and applications with Tim Shanahan, Barbara Ehren, and other leaders in literacy instruction. Leadership in Communication Disorders. ASHA President Tommie Robinson, ASHA Executive Director Arlene Pietranton, and Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association past president Craig Coleman will explore pathways to leadership in national and state associations. Research and Researchers Without Borders: Global Issues and Trends. Participants will learn from and interact with leaders in research from around the world. Bringing their expertise from such places as Hong Kong, Australia, and Great Britain, these esteemed colleagues will share data and invite discussion to stimulate the exploration of new frontiers in research and practice. Discovery of Genetic Mutations That Cause Stuttering. Dennis Drayna, chief of the Section on Systems Biology of Communication Disorders in the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (National Institutes of Health), will present on this cutting-edge topic and interact with sessions participants. Application of Biofeedback to Motor Speech Disorders. Leaders in state-of-the-art technology such as electropalatography, ultrasound, and electromagnetic articulatography will discuss the use of these biofeedback tools in the treatment of motor speech disorders. Lifelong Bilingualism: Linguistic Costs, Cognitive Benefits, and Long-term Consequences. Ellen Bialystok, a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University and associate scientist at the Rotman Research Institute of the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, will present this unique session. Short Courses. These special three-hour courses require preregistration. Here are two examples that may be of interest to you: Leadership Pathways in Measurement and Assessment: A 30-Year Retrospective. Elisabeth Wiig and Wayne Secord will examine the evolution of standardized assessment models. Interventions for Speech Sound Disorders in 2010. Participants will explore cutting-edge interventions around the globe with North American experts as well as international panel members Sharynne McLeod, Elise Baker, and Barbara Dodd from Australia; Fiona Gibbon from Ireland; and Anne Hesketh from England. These selections are just a sampling of the menu of outstanding continuing education opportunities that await you in Philadelphia. We are especially grateful to ASHA members and ASHA affiliates (including our international speakers) who volunteer their time and efforts as invited speakers. These colleagues’ willingness to support ASHA makes it possible to offer a consistently high-quality Convention experience for our members. I look forward to greeting you in the birthplace of our nation and The City of Brotherly Love! Author Notes Shari Robertson, PhD, CCC-SLP, speech-language pathology co-chair of the 2010 Convention and professor of speech-language pathology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, can be reached at [email protected] Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 15Issue 9August 2010 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Aug 1, 2010 Metrics Downloaded 49 times Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2010 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

This purpose of this national survey study was to assess K-5 school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceived knowledge, training, support, and experiences related to collaborative language and literacy instruction with general education teachers. The authors developed and disseminated a 47-item electronic survey guided by the Theoretical Domain Framework for Behavior Change and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative's Core Competencies. One hundred and sixty-seven school-based SLPs completed the survey, and their responses were included in the data analyses. There are four main findings from the current study related to SLPs' collaborative language and literacy instruction with general education teachers: (a) SLPs perceived to be the most knowledgeable about collaborating with teachers during development of an Individualized Education Program and least knowledgeable about implementing collaborative instruction in the general education classroom; (b) the majority of participants reported in-service training, but the timing of training (pre-service vs. in-service) was not correlated with perceived knowledge; (c) the majority of SLPs perceived support from principals and special education administrators, but only approximately 25% agreed that general education teachers think they should work with them to provide collaborative language and literacy instruction and have the knowledge to do so; and (d) SLPs' perception of the general value of collaborative language and literacy instruction was correlated with their reported environmental support. Findings highlight the need to provide collaborative pre-service and in-service training with SLPs and general education teachers to enhance their engagement in collaborative language and literacy instruction. Engaging teachers as partners in collaborative training may have positive implications for collaborative language and literacy intervention, and in turn, student outcomes in the classroom.

This article discusses the importance of metaphors in education and in inclusive settings in particular. Metaphors are seen as the fabric of collaboration through dialogue across the curriculum. The article analyzes the dialogues among the Language Arts, Social Studies, and inclusion teacher in a large middle school in the Southwest of the United States in an effort to coordinate literacy planning and instruction in these content areas. From the analysis of the dialogues in the author’s journal, metaphors emerge as a central component to make meaning in literacy instruction. Three main metaphors of literacy were recursive in the dialogues: (a) literacy as a multiple path for learning (b) literacy as a bridge for academic success and (c) literacy as a window to read the social and personal world of students in inclusive settings. The author of the article advocates for a qualitative research approach where metaphors are the core of methodology in the analysis of language data in teachers’ discourses to refine our understanding on how language plays a crucial role in the planning and implementation of literacy instruction in K-12 schools.