CFDA Number: 84.324L
Program Type: Discretionary/Competitive Grants

Through its Language/Vocabulary research program, the Institute intends to contribute to the improvement of language and vocabulary skills and reading outcomes of students with disabilities by: (a) identifying curriculum and instructional practices that are potentially effective for improving language and vocabulary outcomes for children with disabilities; (b) developing interventions for addressing the underlying causes of language and vocabulary difficulties of students with disabilities from kindergarten through middle school; (c) establishing the efficacy of existing interventions and approaches for reducing/preventing language and vocabulary difficulties of students with disabilities from kindergarten through middle school; (d) providing evidence on the effectiveness of language or vocabulary development interventions implemented at scale, whether they focus on language and vocabulary outcomes or reading/writing outcomes; and (e) developing and validating language or vocabulary assessment tools for students with disabilities in kindergarten through middle school. Interventions appropriate for development and/or evaluation under this program are interventions intended to improve language or vocabulary outcomes of children with disabilities or children at high risk for learning disabilities. Interventions may be school-based interventions or home-based interventions that are integrated with school-based interventions and intended to support children's success in school. The long-term outcome of this program will be an array of tools and strategies (e.g., assessments tools, instructional approaches) that have been documented to be effective for improving the language and vocabulary skills of children with disabilities from kindergarten through middle school.