Child & Language Development
This Child & Language Development webpage demonstrates my knowledge of various aspects of how children develop, including cognitive, linguistic, and psychosocial growth (C2). While I touched on some tools and information relating to this competency in my Resource Library, I will provide specific information here, as well as reflecting on how this knowledge impact the work I do as a school interpreter.
School Interpreting Series (SIS) Standards
SIS Competency 2
Integrate child and language development knowledge into the educational experiences and interactions of a diverse body of deaf and hard of hearing students across their academic years. (Knowledge, Skill, & Attitude)
This page includes a demonstration of Child & Language Development for:
This page also includes an overarching reflection and references.
This webpage demonstrates my competence in Child and Language Development. Among the many factors a school interpreter must consider to provide effective access for deaf and hard of hearing students is the student’s language and developmental level. To ensure classroom discourse is truly accessible, interpreters must understand typical child development benchmarks, allowing them to select approaches that support cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional growth. When a student’s development does not align with typical benchmarks, interpreters must adapt their interpretations so that classroom discourse is presented at a level the student can meaningfully access.
Then, in collaboration with the educational team, interpreters can support the student in achieving their IEP goals. On the IEP team, I will be expected to provide input on whether the student is meeting goals related to interpreting services. Developmentally, a student's relationship and interaction with interpreting services will evolve as they grow. As students get older, it is increasingly important for school interpreters to prioritize autonomy and independence. Harnessing knowledge of that transition and being able to relay how it translates into goals set by the IEP team will increase the support the team as a whole can provide to the student.
Developmental Overview
A school interpreter needs to understand the milestones of language and cognitive development so they can tailor their approach to the student they are working with. Of course, these developmental milestones have been researched over many years, and note the average child's development. Many deaf and hard of hearing children experience language delays and/or language deprivation due to the lack of visual language input from birth. This means that they might not follow the expected milestones (Boys Town, 2021). Using this knowledge, I will be able to better tailor my preparation, make informed decisions about linguistic choices and language scaffolding, and balance student autonomy.
This is undoubtedly important for interpreters who may be working with students experiencing language or cognitive delays, but should not be overlooked by interpreters working with students who are on par with expected milestones. The time a student spends in the K–12 system represents a significant period of growth and development. Depending on the grade level at which an interpreter works, they must consider factors such as maturity, confidence, independence, autonomy, and cognitive development when interpreting classroom discourse and forming working relationships with students. Generally, students who demonstrate typical development require more support from interpreters at younger ages and gradually gain independence and autonomy as they grow older. Interpreters must apply knowledge of child and language development to effectively support students through these developmental transitions (Boys Town, 2021; NAIE, 2019).
By understanding students' developmental stage, interpreters can collaborate with the education team to create a plan that best supports the IEP's goals. Interpreters who understand the milestones can adjust their language use and linguistic choices to meet students where they are, while simultaneously collaborating to support the student in their overall education and development. It is through this collaboration that students will be provided with effective access to education.
This foundational knowledge of child and language development can now be applied to the instructional examples that follow across various developmental stages, including preschool, elementary school, and high school. By analyzing developmental milestones, school interpreters can make more informed, aligned interpreting decisions in the classroom.
Development of a Preschooler
The following video shows many examples of 3-year-old Jo demonstrating developmental milestones through natural conversations with her Deaf mother and their play together (Handspeak, 2014). Their communication is through ASL, and specific examples of preschool-age milestones in Jo's language use and behavior will be outlined below.
Below are cognitive, language, and psychosocial milestones that are appropriate for children in preschool or who are 3 or 4 years old.
Cognitive Milestones
-
Theory of Mind Development
-
Imitates those around them (Ruhl, 2023).
-
(Timestamp 10:23-10:59)
-
Jo imitates her mother as she signs numbers. Seen a few times throughout the video, this is just one example of a time when Jo imitates her mother. In the instances in this video, the imitation is usually done to correct the production of a sign.
-
-
-
Can identify themselves through physical characteristics (Bright Horizons, 2019).
-
(Timestamp 3:07)
-
Jo describes herself as "BIG", identifying herself through a physical characteristic.
-
-
-
Language Milestones
-
More complex handshapes are used (California School for the Deaf, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 0:18)
-
Jo identifies a helicopter and produces the HELICOPTER, which uses two handshapes together for one sign. This shows emerging skills in being able to produce more complex handshapes with better coordination.
-
-
-
Negation is used (California School for the Deaf, n.d).
-
(Timestamp 5:55)
-
Jo uses NOT-KNOW, and while the head shaking isn't the most prominent, the sign KNOW is negated in the way that Jo moves it away from her body.
-
-
-
Possessives are used (California School for the Deaf, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 9:36)
-
Jo can accurately use possessives and articulate when things belong to other people versus when they are hers.
-
-
Psychosocial Milestones
-
Children learn to negotiate and problem-solve through play (Bright Horizons, 2019).
-
(Timestamp 14:57 to 15:49)
-
Jo and her mom are in a parked car pretending to drive. Jo tells her mom that she wants to pick her up in the house. Together, they negotiate the time she will pick her mom up.
-
-
-
Play is dramatic and make-believe in nature (Bright Horizons, 2019).
-
(Timestamp 16:24)
-
When playing with her mother, Jo begins to create a world for them to play in that is make-believe. It has princesses, and Jo is casting spells. This is demonstrative of this important play milestone that shows she is on par with social milestones.
-
-
Jo's Milestones in Relation to School Interpreting
Jo's development is on par with what is expected for a 3- or 4-year-old preschooler. Her first language is ASL, and she is demonstrating continued skill acquisition, such as accurately using negation and possessives and integrating more complex handshapes. Her sentences are overall becoming more complex in nature. She shows positive Theory of Mind development through instances of imitating her mother in the video, as well as other cognitive milestones like being able to identify herself through physical characteristics. Finally, her psychosocial development was shown positively through play. The nature of her play was dramatic and rooted in make-believe. Additionally, Jo can be seen in the video negotiating with her mother when it comes to the terms of play. All of these factors show that Jo has had positive milestone development to this point in her life. The video shows that she has strong foundations in Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS). However, because she hasn't spent time in an academic setting, she still needs to build skills in English, especially in relation to Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).
If Jo were to be placed in a kindergarten classroom with hearing teachers, peers, and support staff who were all English-speaking and non-signers, she would need accommodations to make the classroom accessible. This would primarily be through the use of an ASL-English Interpreter. As with any deaf or hard of hearing student, it would be important for Jo to be placed with a qualified, certified ASL-English interpreter to ensure her development stays on track.
The educational team should also consider:
-
Jo's English development and the best ways to support bilingual education.
-
How to ensure that Jo continues to reach social milestones with peers who don't sign?
-
Continuing to encourage play and identity development for Jo in a setting where her language and communication modality differ from those of other students.
-
How are her IEP goals being met, and are the provided accommodations adequate for Jo?
For more information on how an interpreter can enact their role as a consultant and how this supports the work of the IEP team, please see an expanded example of my consultative work with an IEP team, based on my observations of Jo, on the Roles & Responsibilities page under the Consultant section.
Development of an Elementary-Aged Student
In the following lesson, Mr. Bowen leads the class in calendar time. First, the Kindergarten and 1st Grade students are updated on their new classroom jobs for the week. These jobs include calendar person, line leader, paper handlers, and board cleaners. Once the jobs are revealed, Mr. Bowen uses confirmation inquiry to review the days of the week and the concepts of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. In this lesson, students will understand turn-taking and the call-and-response approach. They will also understand the calendar and its vocabulary. Students will know that each weekly job has its own set of responsibilities and how to fulfill them. Students will also know to follow the classroom norms and the consequences of not following those rules. Students will also be able to identify the days of the week and follow the rules and responsibilities for their weekly assigned job (Bowen, 2012). One Common Core Standard that is highlighted in this lesson is CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.a- Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion) (Common Core, 2010).
Below are cognitive, language, and psychosocial milestones that are appropriate for children in Kindergarten and 1st Grade.
Cognitive Milestones
-
1st Grade- Learn from what they hear and read- not just from what they see and do (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 3:01 to 3:06)
-
The teacher repeated the word Monday, spelled it out loud, and wrote it on the board.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Begins to have a better sense of time, understanding of increments of time, weeks, months, and seasons & predict what comes next in a pattern (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 3:20, 4:18 to 4:38, 5:00 to 5:29)
-
The teacher asks the students to identify today, tomorrow, and yesterday in these sections. The students responded by showing that they have a concept of time at the days of the week level and that they can complete the pattern of the days of the week.
-
-
Language Milestones
-
Kindergarten-Recognize some words by sight (ASHA, 2024b).
-
(Timestamp 2:37 to 2:48)
-
The teacher asks Naomi (this week’s calendar person) to identify the card that says Monday and then show it to the class. He asks the class to verify that the information is correct (even singling out a couple of students) and they all agree. They demonstrate the ability to recognize the word Monday by sight.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Follow 2-3 step directions (ASHA, 2024a).
-
(Timestamp 2:13)
-
The teacher asks the students to:
-
1. Close their mouths.
-
2. Raise their hands.
-
-
-
Psychosocial Milestones
-
Kindergarten & 1st Grade- Finishes what Starts, Expressions of Industry (Eric Erickson’s, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 0:58 to 1:40)
-
In this section, the teacher reveals the week's classroom jobs. He utilizes a call-and-response-like approach where he points to the board and prompts by saying, “Our line leader is,” then, he pauses and the students, by reading the board, finish the phrase that he started with the student’s name. In this case, Marcus. This same call-and-response style continues as they go through all the classroom jobs (calendar person, board cleaners, paper handlers, and office assistants) demonstrating their ability to finish what has been started.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Are eager to please and want to “be first” and win (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 0:00 to 0:18, 1:04 to 1:08, 3:20 to 3:30, 6:02 to 6:10)
-
In the first few seconds of the video, the teacher instructs the kids to hold up the pieces of paper, they all follow instructions and hold the papers high up in the air. Then, around a minute into the video, the teacher mentions that Marcus (the designated line leader) isn’t there, so in the meantime, he will pick the best listener. A couple of kids’ hands immediately go up into the air, offering to fill the teacher’s need as well as being the chosen “winner” of the spot of line leader. At the 3:20 mark and 6:02 mark, the teacher asks all of the students to close their mouths and raise their hands, and they all do. This indicates age-appropriate psychosocial development milestones of wanting to please the teacher by fulfilling his requests and wanting to be first/win by participating eagerly in the lesson.
-
-
Development of an Elementary-Aged Student
In the following lesson, Mr. Bowen leads the class in calendar time. First, the Kindergarten and 1st Grade students are updated on their new classroom jobs for the week. These jobs include calendar person, line leader, paper handlers, and board cleaners. Once the jobs are revealed, Mr. Bowen uses confirmation inquiry to review the days of the week and the concepts of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. In this lesson, students will understand turn-taking and the call-and-response approach. They will also understand the calendar and its vocabulary. Students will know that each weekly job has its own set of responsibilities and how to fulfill them. Students will also know to follow the classroom norms and the consequences of not following those rules. Students will also be able to identify the days of the week and follow the rules and responsibilities for their weekly assigned job (Bowen, 2012). One Common Core Standard that is highlighted in this lesson is CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.a- Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion) (Common Core, 2010).
Below are cognitive, language, and psychosocial milestones that are appropriate for children in Kindergarten and 1st Grade.
Cognitive Milestones
-
1st Grade- Learn from what they hear and read- not just from what they see and do (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 3:01 to 3:06)
-
The teacher repeated the word Monday, spelled it out loud, and wrote it on the board.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Begins to have a better sense of time, understanding of increments of time, weeks, months, and seasons & predict what comes next in a pattern (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 3:20, 4:18 to 4:38, 5:00 to 5:29)
-
The teacher asks the students to identify today, tomorrow, and yesterday in these sections. The students responded by showing that they have a concept of time at the days of the week level and that they can complete the pattern of the days of the week.
-
-
Language Milestones
-
Kindergarten-Recognize some words by sight (ASHA, 2024b).
-
(Timestamp 2:37 to 2:48)
-
The teacher asks Naomi (this week’s calendar person) to identify the card that says Monday and then show it to the class. He asks the class to verify that the information is correct (even singling out a couple of students) and they all agree. They demonstrate the ability to recognize the word Monday by sight.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Follow 2-3 step directions (ASHA, 2024a).
-
(Timestamp 2:13)
-
The teacher asks the students to:
-
1. Close their mouths.
-
2. Raise their hands.
-
-
-
Development of an Elementary-Aged Student
In the following lesson, Mr. Bowen leads the class in calendar time. First, the Kindergarten and 1st Grade students are updated on their new classroom jobs for the week. These jobs include calendar person, line leader, paper handlers, and board cleaners. Once the jobs are revealed, Mr. Bowen uses a confirmation inquiry to review the days of the week and the concepts of today, yesterday, and tomorrow. In this lesson, students will understand turn-taking and the call-and-response approach. They will also understand the calendar and its vocabulary. Students will know that each weekly job has its own set of responsibilities and how to fulfill them. Students will also learn to follow classroom norms and the consequences of not following them. Students will also be able to identify the days of the week and follow the rules and responsibilities for their weekly assigned job (Bowen, 2012). One Common Core Standard that is highlighted in this lesson is CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.a- Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion) (Common Core, 2010). The following video is in spoken English.
Below are cognitive, language, and psychosocial milestones that are appropriate for children in Kindergarten and 1st Grade.
Cognitive Milestones
-
1st Grade- Learn from what they hear and read- not just from what they see and do (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 3:01 to 3:06)
-
The teacher repeated the word Monday, spelled it out loud, and wrote it on the board.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Begins to have a better sense of time, understanding of increments of time, weeks, months, and seasons & predict what comes next in a pattern (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 3:20, 4:18 to 4:38, 5:00 to 5:29)
-
The teacher asks the students to identify today, tomorrow, and yesterday in these sections. The students responded by showing that they have a concept of time at the days of the week level and that they can complete the pattern of the days of the week.
-
-
Language Milestones
-
Kindergarten-Recognize some words by sight (ASHA, 2024b).
-
(Timestamp 2:37 to 2:48)
-
The teacher asks Naomi (this week’s calendar person) to identify the card that says Monday and then show it to the class. He asks the class to verify that the information is correct (even singling out a couple of students) and they all agree. They demonstrate the ability to recognize the word Monday by sight.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Follow 2-3 step directions (ASHA, 2024a).
-
(Timestamp 2:13)
-
The teacher asks the students to:
-
1. Close their mouths.
-
2. Raise their hands.
-
-
-
Psychosocial Milestones
-
Kindergarten & 1st Grade- Finishes what Starts, Expressions of Industry (Erik Erikson’s, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 0:58 to 1:40)
-
In this section, the teacher reveals the week's classroom jobs. He utilizes a call-and-response-like approach where he points to the board and prompts by saying, “Our line leader is,” then, he pauses and the students, by reading the board, finish the phrase that he started with the student’s name. In this case, Marcus. This same call-and-response style continues as they go through all the classroom jobs (calendar person, board cleaners, paper handlers, and office assistants) demonstrating their ability to finish what has been started.
-
-
-
1st Grade- Are eager to please and want to “be first” and win (Morin, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 0:00 to 0:18, 1:04 to 1:08, 3:20 to 3:30, 6:02 to 6:10)
-
In the first few seconds of the video, the teacher instructs the kids to hold up the pieces of paper, they all follow instructions and hold the papers high up in the air. Then, around a minute into the video, the teacher mentions that Marcus (the designated line leader) isn’t there, so in the meantime, he will pick the best listener. A couple of kids’ hands immediately go up into the air, offering to fill the teacher’s need as well as being the chosen “winner” of the spot of line leader. At the 3:20 mark and 6:02 mark, the teacher asks all of the students to close their mouths and raise their hands, and they all do. This indicates age-appropriate psychosocial development milestones of wanting to please the teacher by fulfilling his requests and wanting to be first/win by participating eagerly in the lesson.
-
-
Development of a High School-Aged Student
The lesson below showcases a 9th-grade biology class. The lesson topic continues their exploration of taxonomy and the different classes of organisms. They briefly review previously learned topics, such as sponges and cnidarians, before moving on to working with planarians (flatworms). The lesson begins with a student group presenting a previously made poster about what they found about flatworms in their research. Then, the class reviews triploblastic organisms and makes a clay model of the flatworm to solidify that concept. Students will understand that living things are complex structures (polyps, cnidarians, and worms) that are different groups (phyla) into which they are classified. These different groups have differing characteristics. Students will know that sponges eat by soaking water in through their pores and pushing it out through the Osculum. The polyps are Cnidarians that have tentacles at the top and a mouth in the middle of the tentacles.
Planarians are a type of flatworm that is more complex than sponges. Ranging in size, they are placed in the phylum Platyhelminthes and are triploblastic, with three cell layers: endoderm (inner layer), mesoderm (middle layer), and ectoderm (outer layer). The digestive tract of flatworms runs through the middle of the worm. Students will be able to identify and describe the placement of the three cell layers found in flatworms as triploblastic beings, as well as explain and show how polyps and sponges feed (Massachusetts DESE, 2015). A Common Core Standard highlighted in this lesson is HS-LS2-5: Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or components of a system (Next Generation, n.d.). The following video is in spoken English.
Below are cognitive, language, and psychosocial milestones that are appropriate for children in 9th Grade.
Cognitive Milestones
-
Exhibits more defined work habits (Guht, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp: 2:06)
-
The teacher asks for the next group to present out their poster project. The project is complete highlighting the students' work habits positively.
-
-
-
Can explain the reasoning behind their choices (Guht, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp: 2:23)
-
During the presentation, the students are able to respond to the teacher's questions and clarifications. As the teacher probes the students further, they demonstrate a deeper understanding of their topic.
-
-
Language Milestones
-
Can hold appropriate conversations (Ghut, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp: 2:21)
-
During the presentation by the two students on worms, the students are able to maintain a conversation as the teacher asks them questions, comments on their presentation, and encourages them. Students are able to keep on topic and have an appropriate conversation with her.
-
-
-
Begins paying more attention to body language, tone of voice, and other nonverbal cues (Ghut, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp: 5:12 to 5:19)
-
There is one student seated at the front of the classroom who is not participating and on the teacher’s third attempt to get him to say it and do the action that she wanted the class to use to participate. Each time she prompted it, her tone changed and he was able to pick up on the fact that she was actually serious about her request.
-
-
Psychosocial Milestones
-
Challenges Adult Authority (Erik Erikson’s, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 0:18 to 0:27)
-
This is not an intense example of challenging authority, but I think it shows a hint of this.
-
The teacher makes an attempt to engage students in the lesson by having them state one of the concepts and do some hand motions to go with it. The first time she tried to start it, very few students participated. Then, the teacher asks them to do it again and more students participate. Not participating the first time could be seen as a slight challenge to adult authority.
-
-
-
Wants to be Liked (Ghut, n.d.).
-
(Timestamp 1:53 to 2:04)
-
When the teacher asks a series of questions about their previous experiences with worms, she jokingly asks if anyone has eaten a worm. There is one student who keeps her hand raised and responds that she has eaten one when she was younger. It seems that the student mentioned this to try and get a rise out of people in the class. This could be seen as the desire to be liked coming out.
-
-
Once a school interpreter can identify how a teacher’s lesson objectives and corresponding state standards support student development, and recognize how typical developmental milestones manifest in the classroom, they can further enrich their interpretations in developmentally appropriate ways. To further enhance the effectiveness of interpretation, collaboration with the educational team is essential to support the student as a whole. As explored below, many factors influence a student’s ability to access instruction and achieve their learning goals.
Learning Graphic
The Learning Graphic presents a systems-based view of learning by highlighting how classroom goals, student needs, and contextual factors interact. This perspective is essential for school interpreters, as it underscores the importance of recognizing barriers beyond language and working collaboratively with the education team to support meaningful access. To get a closer look, please click here.
.png)
Learning Graphic References:
(Hardiman, 2012; K.R. Mangalam, n.d.; Leigh et al., 2023; Marschark et al., 2011; Paddy, 2022; Schick, n.d.).
Within the structure, all the required pieces come together to support the student's success. If one factor is missing, the support structure around the student is weaker. If any bricks designated as barriers are added to the structure, the structure becomes uneven and less effective. If one of the factors that impact learning (the two columns leading up to the Theory of Mind piece) is removed, the structure becomes unstable, and the student is not as well supported as possible. For example, if a deaf or hard of hearing student is not provided visual access to lesson materials and supportive nutrition, two pieces would be gone, making the structure incomplete.
This is representative of the fact that a single area of support for a student is not enough to create an accessible environment. Just as all of these pieces need to come together for successful learning for the student, each member of the IEP team will need to bring their expertise. The teams I will be on will rely on me to provide information and recommendations regarding communication access and interpreting approaches. I will rely on other members of the IEP team to provide information to inform my practice as well. For example, I will rely on the School Psychologist on my team to use their expertise to explain any behavioral or emotional impacts the student may be experiencing. Each team member will come together to support the whole student. My role will be important not only to advocate for effective communication access but also provide any information my team needs. Additionally, it will be important for me to leverage the knowledge of the professionals working with me so that we can do the best possible work for the student.
Overarching Reflection
When I was accepted as an OSEP scholar and into the PSI Project, I remember sitting down with Dr. Girardin and having a conversation in which she mapped out all the opportunities I would have over the next two years. I remember telling her that I was especially looking forward to the course INTR 433: Child Development for School Interpreters and gaining competency in child and language development. I am the youngest child in my family. I do not have any children myself, and while I have had experience with children in roles such as babysitter, camp counselor, and various volunteer positions, I have never worked with children in a role that involves their development, as I will in my role as a school interpreter. I knew the importance of this competency because I would not only need to learn about typical development, which I have never consciously witnessed, but also how to apply it to my work in the classroom.
Examining lessons in the "Development of an Elementary Student" and "Development of a High School Student" artifacts, along with their corresponding state standards, led me to a particularly important realization: students are expected to meet standards that might not be obviously related to those subjects. For example, I found that literacy standards could be achieved through the biology lesson, even though the class's focus does not seem to be on building reading and writing skills. This highlights the importance of the working relationship between the school interpreter and the classroom teachers. In my work as a school interpreter, I will need to work closely with them to ensure I understand not only the teacher’s goals for the lessons but also the corresponding standards. Doing so will connect my work to the student's overall education goals. Additionally, when a student is not meeting these standards or goals, this awareness enables me to be a more effective member of the IEP team as we collaborate to support the student in reaching their individual goals.
The Learning Graphic helps represent the accumulation of factors that will either support or detract from a student's learning. As a school interpreter, understanding how all these pieces fit together is imperative to supporting students as whole people. When a student experiences difficulty in class, it may result from any combination of these factors.
Without awareness of the potential barriers to learning, it would not really matter how effective the access is, as other factors can continue to negatively impact a student’s education. When these barriers coexist with concerns about linguistic or cognitive development, it becomes especially important for the IEP team to support the student holistically. This concept connects to the work presented on the Systems and Collaboration page of this website, particularly the Ecological System of a Deaf or Hard of Hearing Student. As illustrated through the student’s microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem, the influences affecting learning may not always be immediately visible. The Learning Graphic serves as a lasting reminder that multiple factors shape a student’s ability to engage and succeed, and that acknowledging the whole student is essential to providing meaningful and effective support.
The Child and Language Development Chart demonstrates my understanding of typical developmental milestones. As a school interpreter, this knowledge informs how I build rapport and form effective working relationships with students, collaborating with the educational team to support access while respecting professional boundaries.
This page also includes the Development of a Preschooler artifact. As a school interpreter, I will spend a significant amount of time with students, which allows opportunities to observe their language and cognitive development. Having knowledge of typical developmental milestones helps me know what to look for during these observations. With this understanding, if I am asked to provide input to the IEP team during assessments (as illustrated in the artifact IEP Assessments), my contributions will be informed and grounded in research. While formal assessments of language and cognitive development should be conducted by professionals with specialized training, this knowledge will inform both my interpreting work in the classroom and the observations I share with the IEP team in relation to my role.
A deep understanding of child and language development is essential for school interpreters, as it enables them to adapt their approach to meet the needs of each individual student they work with. Interpreting will never be a “one size fits all,” and having the knowledge of what typical language and cognitive development milestones are empowers me to make linguistic decisions that meet the student where they are and to be an active and responsible member of the IEP team. In doing so, this provides students with more equitable access and greater opportunities for team collaboration on the education team. The work on this page demonstrates my skill and awareness of the second SIS competency. Exploring developmental milestones first helped me consider developmentally appropriate approaches to my interpreting work. I initially saw these considerations add depth to my practice when connecting classroom lessons to state standards, which further enriched my preparation. As my understanding grew, I began to consider my linguistic choices more intentionally, including register, the use of fingerspelling, and how language is scaffolded to support not only the concepts being taught but also the language students continue to develop in school. With increased competency in this area, I was able to integrate my knowledge of child and language development into a broader understanding of my role as a school interpreter as a Related Service Provider and how this knowledge strengthens my contributions to the IEP team.
While developmental milestones can inform language choices in the classroom, they can also be used more intentionally to guide observations of students’ access and participation. When combined with data on typical development, these observations help me support the IEP team in informing the development of the goals for working with an interpreter.
While I have yet to experience the excitement of watching students reach goals and achieve milestones, something many school interpreters describe as one of the most rewarding aspects of the job, I have had a glimpse of what that experience might feel like through my niece. Around the same time I began the PSI Project courses, my sister had her first child. As the youngest in my family, I had not previously experienced watching a child grow and reach developmental milestones.
Over the past 20 months, observing my niece’s growth has been a source of joy for many reasons, particularly in moments when her language shows new development and she demonstrates that she has learned something. If witnessing the growth of deaf and hard of hearing students in the classroom is anything like what I have experienced with my niece, I am confident I will find this work to be deeply rewarding.
References
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2024a). Your child’s communication: First grade.
https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/firstgrade/
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2024b). Your child’s communication: Kindergarten.
https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/kindergarten/
Boys Town National Research Hospital. (2021). EIPA written test and content knowledge standards [PDF]. https://cdn.aglty.io/classroom-
interpreting/resources/WrittenTestandContentKnowledgeStandards.pdf
Bright Horizons. (2019, February 19). How children develop identity. https://www.brighthorizons.com/article/children/how-children-develop-identity
California School for the Deaf. (n.d.). ASL stages of development [PDF]. Early Childhood Education Department. https://successforkidswithhearingloss.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/12/ASL-Stages-of-Development-Assmt.pdf
Common Core State Standards. (2010). English Language Arts standards- Reading: Foundational skills- Kindergarten- 1a.
https://www.thecorestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RF/K/1/a/
Bowen, D. (2012, February 22). Kindergarten / 1st grade calendar time part #1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXyopaMmtw
Erik Erikson’s psycho-social stages of development [Class PDF]. (n.d.). University of Northern Colorado. https://www.unco.edu/canvas/
Guht, J. (n.d.). Developmental milestones for teens (13–18 years): Coral care developmental guides. Coral Care.
https://www.joincoralcare.com/developmental-guides/milestones-teens-13-18-years
Handspeak. (2014, September 14). Preschooler signing ASL: months 6 and 7 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZgiERquuSk&t=1s
Hardiman, M. (2012). The brain-targeted teaching model for 21st century schools. Corwin.
K.R. Mangalam World School. (n.d.). 8 essential factors affecting learning process. https://www.krmangalamgurgaon.com/blogs/8-essential-factors-
Leigh, I. W., Andrews, J. F., Miller, C. A., Wolsey, J. A. (2023). Deaf people and society: Psychological, sociological, and educational perspectives.
Routledge.
Marschark, M., Spencer, P.E., Adams, J., Sapere, P. (2011). Evidence‐based practice in educating Deaf and hard‐of‐hearing children: Teaching to their
cognitive strengths and needs. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26(1), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2011.543540
Massachusetts DESE. (2015, October 27). 9th grade biology [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9kyl_WPFhU
Morin, A. (n.d.). Developmental milestones for first graders. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/developmental-milestones-for-
typical-first-graders#Cognitive_milestones
National Association of Interpreters in Education. (2019). Professional Guidelines for Interpreting in Educational Settings (1st ed.). https://naiedu.org/guidelines/
Next Generation Science Standards. (n.d.). Read the standards. https://www.nextgenscience.org/search-standards?
Paddy, L. (2022). Seeing through new eyes, Deaf cultures and Deaf pedagogies: The unrecognized curriculum. Dawn Sign Press.
Ruhl, C. (2023, August 28). Theory of mind in psychology: People thinking. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/theory-of-mind.html
Schick, B. (n.d.). Communication considerations A-Z: Social cognition & theory of mind. Hands & Voices.