Analytic Thought

Psych 441: Analytic Thought Paper: One of Four Vignetttes

Case Scenario: Anabela is a second grader who is being considered for retention. Anabela’s parents, Magda and Gaspar, are being asked to attend a school meeting about the decision for next year. The parents are devoted to Anabela and have adjusted to her receiving special services; however, they do not like the idea of her repeating second grade.

Magda and Gaspar are the married parents of three children, Oscar, age 11, Anabela, age 7 and Esperanza, age 4. The family resides in a large urban city in Western United States. Magda and Gaspar immigrated to the United States from Guatemala seven years ago and continue to have close ties to their family in their home country. Their daughter Anabela is a second grader at a local public elementary school. Magda’s father Tomás (Anabela’s grandfather) immigrated from Guatemala as well and has been a caregiver to the children over the years while both parents work. The parents have pride in how their hard work has helped them to purchase a home and to provide for the family’s needs. The parents work as managers of a busy, local restaurant along with a few other extended family members. Magda and Gaspar have learned to speak English, but the primary language of the home is Spanish. The parents encourage English language learning for their children, but the children are bilingual primarily due to school and peer learning.

Anabela, has been attending a second grade English Only class and receives special education services. The family supported the English only class, thinking English Only would best support Anabela’s overall learning needs. After testing at the end of fist grade, Anabela qualified for special services and she has now been on IEP (Individual Education Plan) for one year. Her services from a resource teacher are related to reading challenges and auditory processing needs. While happy and calm at home, Anabela was also identified as having mild social-emotional needs based on observations of her intermittent crying and frustration while working on class work. She has received individual support and small group services.

Magda and Gaspar, both who attended school in Guatemala, have strong beliefs in the value of education, but have mixed feelings about the IEP services. They wonder how long this will be necessary for Anabela. They had not expected such extensive communication from the school and with their busy work schedules wonder how much to be involved. The teacher’s mostly see Anabela’s doting grandfather who attends most classroom events given the parents’ work schedules. This is very helpful, but Grandpa Tomás is only comfortable speaking Spanish. When Anabela was in preschool, her teacher spoke Spanish and easily shared information with the grandfather that could then be passed along to the parents.

While very cooperative with the school, Magda and Gaspar find attending school meetings about Anabela’s progress to be a challenge. At times Anabela hears her parents expressing frustration and concerns about the meetings and the paperwork that go along with her special needs program. Anabela’s older brother Oscar, who is in sixth grade, is a successful student academically and socially, so the parents have only needed to go to one or two meetings a year for him. Given this, they expected a similar level of teacher contact for Anabela, but once she was on her IEP learned that expectations are different. For support at home, the parents have Oscar read with Anabela and help her with her homework.

The family recently received a request to attend this meeting at the school about Anabela’s possible retention. The letter from the school indicated that the teachers do not believe Anabela is ready to move on the third grade. Third graders in the school have different teachers for several subjects, and the

teachers feel that second grade is better suited for Anabela given her emotional development and her current learning needs.

While the parents have been living and working in the U.S. for seven years and are now permanent residents, they still feel concerned and anxious whenever they are asked to meet with teachers and go over paperwork. They love their children deeply and value education. They want the children to have the best possible life, but do not see why she needs to stay back if she has special teachers. Their main concern is how Anabela will learn and how she will respond if she needs to be told she is being held back.

Respond to this scenario. What concepts apply? What are some factors and concepts to consider regarding this family, the family history and current roles? What might help Magda and Gaspar prepare for this meeting and the decision? What feedback should they gather from Anabela? Should the grandfather be involved in this meeting? How can the teachers best engage the parents? Consider ecological systems, maintenance tasks, interdependence or family themes as possible concepts to discuss.