Making a Broader Case for the Narrow View: Where to Begin?

Abstract

Purpose This final article covering the topic of the interplay between decoding, comprehension, and content versus structure knowledge describes a set of language initiatives that are focused toward content area learning. Inspired by the work of their colleagues from diverse fields and their own work, the authors offer suggestions to clinicians who are interested in creating and delivering curriculum-relevant and strategic-based language intervention to school-age students with language learning disabilities (LLD). Method The discussion covers selected topics that form the foundation for an evolving intervention framework, including (a) understanding the content and structural requirements of textbooks, (b) integrating metacognitive and metalinguistic techniques into intervention goals and objectives, and (c) emphasizing meaning-based activities that cut across connected discourse (macrostructure levels) and sentence/word components (microstructure levels) of spoken and written language. Conclusion Starting with ways to find clues about “what to do” with students by looking in their textbooks, the authors continue with examples that integrate content and structure knowledge using social studies and science as backdrops for language intervention. The article ends with a reminder to clinicians to consider ways that preschool language intervention can be more effective in helping children prepare for the academic demands of the future.