What explains a first-grade ELL's difficulty in recalling the word "horse" after identifying a picture?

The reasoning behind this choice revolves around the concepts of receptive and expressive vocabulary. A first-grade English Language Learner (ELL) may have the ability to recognize and understand the word "horse" when hearing it or seeing it associated with a picture, indicating that the word is part of their aural receptive vocabulary. However, being able to recall and speak the word is a different skill and falls under oral expressive vocabulary. This distinction between understanding a word and being able to use it actively is a common challenge for ELLs, who might comprehend more vocabulary than they can express. Therefore, it’s plausible that the student knows what a horse is when they see it but struggles to verbalize that knowledge. This situation is typical for ELLs, especially in early language development stages, where comprehension often precedes production.