adolescent student
Questions about ELL and Bilingual Intervention

Laureate Learning Systems has been publishing research-based talking software since 1982. Many of our programs are ideally suited for pre-school and elementary-age English Language Learners (ELL). In addition to programs that are appropriate for children who are proficient in their native language, Laureate also has bilingual packages for students encountering difficulty in both English and their native tongue. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions from ELL professionals and those providing bilingual language intervention…

Q. I work with kindergarten and elementary-age English Language Learners. Do you have programs that can help them gain basic oral English competence?
A. For children who need to learn basic English syntax, we recommend three programs designed to help children master syntax and become better communicators. Simple Sentence Structure helps children understand the importance of Subject-Verb-Object word order in simple sentences. LanguageLinks: Syntax Assessment and Intervention is a six-level software series which covers 75 basic grammatical forms in developmental order. Prepositions! trains ten important prepositions in a variety of contexts and helps students follow simple directions necessary for school success. All of these programs use natural sounding speech to help improve your students’ listening and speaking skills, while optional text encourages beginning reading. Because your students can use the software independently, they can receive individualized language instruction in their own classrooms five days a week.

Q. Do you have any programs to help ELL students learn to read?
A. The Sentence Master is an ideal reading program for English Language Learners. Designed by Dr. Marion Blank, this program focuses special instructional attention on non-content words (articles, pronouns, prepositions, etc.) and word endings (such as “-s,” “-ed,” and “ing”). By truly teaching this small set of non-content words, The Sentence Master enables a reader to instantly decode over half of any page of text he or she will ever encounter.

The Sentence Master will also help your students learn the essential structures of the English language. Each level of the program presents increasingly complex sentence patterns which have been carefully selected to represent ideas that are central to understanding any coherent text. For students who are English Language Learners, The Sentence Master eliminates frustration and ensures success.

Q. I work with pre-schoolers who are proficient in their native language, but are just learning English. What software would you suggest?
A. Exploring Nouns and Exploring Verbs encourage users to explore and interact with vocabulary items in natural, full-screen settings. Your 3-5 year old students will enjoy discovering and identifying 120 early developing English nouns and 50 verbs in realistic contexts. Large engaging objects and lively animation make learning fun.

Simple Sentence Structure helps children understand the importance of Subject-Verb-Object order in English. Students work through four sentence sets: contrasting subjects, contrasting verbs, contrasting objects, and finally, subject/object reversal. In addition to learning basic word order, they’ll build their vocabulary of English words.

Q. Do you have any bilingual programs that can help us provide language intervention services to pre-school and elementary-age children on IEPs?
A. Laureate has two series of bilingual packages available for Spanish-speaking children with language impairments who are English Language Learners. These bilingual Mac/Win CD-ROMs include both the English and Spanish versions of each program on a single CD.

The classic versions of First Words, First Words II, and First Verbs use high quality speech, colorful graphics, and amusing animation to train 100 early developing nouns and 40 verbs. Six levels of instruction, a variety of customization features, and accessible interfaces make these programs appropriate for children whose language functioning level is as low as 9 to 12 months of age.

My House, My Town, and My School encourage discovery, learning, and communication about the objects and activities your students encounter during their daily routines. Each program presents over 100 nouns and their functions or descriptions in engaging full-screen scenes. In the Discover activities, children hear the names or descriptions of objects by selecting them on the screen. In the Identify activities, the computer asks children to find various objects according to their names or descriptions.