Pre-Referral for Special Education: A Bilingual First Grader
A first-grade teacher at a suburban school refers a 6-year-old Cantonese-speaking boy for special education evaluation. He was born in the U.S.; his parents speak Cantonese and limited English. In class, he rarely follows English directions, gives one-word answers, and scores below benchmark on English letter-naming fluency. He is quiet during English circle time but during free play he talks with a bilingual aide in Cantonese, retelling a cartoon plot with detail and humor. His attendance is 92%. Hearing screening was passed in kindergarten but not repeated this year. The school sent two parent meeting notices in English; the parents did not attend. The teacher has tried 10 minutes of daily English phonemic awareness and says 'nothing works.' The child's mother calls the office and asks, through a cousin, whether her son is 'slow.' The teacher must decide whether to proceed with the referral, what additional data to collect, and how to communicate with the family.
1. Should the teacher proceed with the special education referral now? What data are needed?
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Not yet. The current data are exactly what second-language acquisition can look like: he understands Cantonese, talks in detail during play, and is quiet in English whole-group instruction. A referral now would risk misidentifying normal sequential bilingual development as a disability. Before referral, the team needs: a repeat hearing screening; a home-language developmental history from the parents with an interpreter; observations in multiple settings, including free play and small-group Cantonese; language samples in Cantonese and English; work samples; and progress data from Tier 2 supports. The key question is whether he shows low performance and slow learning in both languages after appropriate instruction, not just in English. English letter-naming fluency alone is not a valid marker because he has had limited English exposure. I would implement six to eight weeks of targeted support and monitor progress. If he does not respond and the pattern is consistent across languages, then a referral is warranted.
2. What pre-referral supports and assessment practices would you put in place?
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Pre-referral supports should be rich and bilingual. I would use the bilingual aide to support Cantonese oral language and to bridge vocabulary into English; use visuals, gestures, and predictable routines; teach English through songs, chants, and hands-on centers rather than 10 minutes of isolated phonemic awareness; and give him low-stakes opportunities to respond, such as pointing, choral response, and partner talk. For literacy, I would build English letter-sound knowledge in a small group with explicit modeling and frequent review, while continuing Cantonese storybook reading and oral narrative. I would progress-monitor weekly on a few measurable goals-for example, English letter names, English oral vocabulary, and Cantonese story retell-and document the interventions. I would also check whether the 10-minute phonics block is being delivered consistently and whether it is appropriate for a beginner. The judgment is to test the instruction before testing the child.
3. How would you communicate with the family and address the mother's question?
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I would not use the cousin as the interpreter for a confidential conversation; I would arrange a telephone or in-person interpreter and send the notice in Cantonese. I would schedule the meeting at a time that works for parents who may work evenings and offer a phone or video option. In the conversation, I would avoid the word 'slow' and explain what I have observed: he understands Cantonese, tells stories during play, and is still learning English. I would ask about his language at home, his health, hearing, and any concerns, and I would explain that we are gathering information before deciding about special education. I would give a written summary in Cantonese and set a follow-up date. The mother's question deserves a direct, respectful answer: being a bilingual learner is not the same as being slow, and we will look at both languages before drawing conclusions. I would also make sure the family knows they can request an evaluation at any time and that their consent is required.