Recommendations For Teaching Reading To Ells

The large and growing number of children for whom English is a second language has thrust upon the educational community – practitioners no less than researchers – extremely important questions and challenges not traditionally... By far the most controversial of these is whether it is more desirable to promote literacy in a first or second language for limited-English-speaking children. Although far from conclusive, there is evidence that initial reading instruction in a child’s home language (e.g., Spanish) makes a positive contribution to literacy attainment (both in the home language and in English) and,... The question of how best to promote literacy learning in either or both languages is just as important but overshadowed by the politically more volatile issues of which language should be used and for... Researchers and educators possess scant empirical guidance on how best to design literacy instruction for such children in either their primary language or English, much less in both. Appropriate government agencies and private foundations are urged to sponsor research on the factors that influence the literacy acquisition of children for whom English is not the primary language.

For various primary languages (e.g., Spanish, Khmer, Chinese) and along key language dimensions such as alphabetic and nonalphabetic writing systems and traditionally literate versus nonliterate languages, issues that need to be addressed include: In this article, Kristina Robertson highlights ELL instructional strategies based on key reading components and skills. In addition, educators will learn more about the role of students' home language and oral language. This article is part of our guide on Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners. Image credit: Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages Learning to read is a complicated process.

If you teach English language learners (ELLs), however, there are a number of ways you can support their literacy and language development through targeted instruction. This article highlights ELL instructional strategies based on the five components of reading as outlined in Teaching Children to Read by the National Reading Panel (2000). This report is a study of research-based best practices in reading instruction and it focuses on the following five instructional areas: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension. In addition, the article includes information related to two additional important areas of instruction for ELLs, oral language and the role of the home language. Each of these topics is explored below, and each section includes: (This is the first post in a two-part series.)

What is the single most effective instructional strategy you have used to teach English-language learners? This series is part of a longer series of questions and answers inviting educators from various disciplines to share their “single most effective instructional strategy.” Last week, educators shared their recommendations when it came to teaching writing. Today, Valentina Gonzalez, Denita Harris, Cindy Garcia, and Deedy Camarena offer their responses. Corresponding author. dikimedu@snu.ac.kr

Received 2020 Aug 31; Revised 2021 Apr 16; Accepted 2021 Sep 8; Collection date 2021 Sep. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). The number of English Language Learners (ELLs) has been growing worldwide. ELLs are at risk for reading disabilities due to dual difficulties with linguistic and cultural factors. This raises the need for finding practical and efficient reading interventions for ELLs to improve their literacy development and English reading skills. The purpose of this study is to examine the evidence-based reading interventions for English Language Learners to identify the components that create the most effective and efficient interventions.

This article reviewed literature published between January 2008 and March 2018 that examined the effectiveness of reading interventions for ELLs. We analyzed the effect sizes of reading intervention programs for ELLs and explored the variables that affect reading interventions using a multilevel meta-analysis. We examined moderator variables such as student-related variables (grades, exceptionality, SES), measurement-related variables (standardization, reliability), intervention-related variables (contents of interventions, intervention types), and implementation-related variables (instructor, group size). The results showed medium effect sizes for interventions targeting basic reading skills for ELLs. Medium-size group interventions and strategy-embedded interventions were more important for ELLs who were at risk for reading disabilities. These findings suggested that we should consider the reading problems of ELLs and apply the Tier 2 approach for ELLs with reading problems.

Keywords: English language learners, Evidenced-based intervention, Meta-analysis, Reading You can and should use what you already know to be effective, research-based reading instruction to English language learners (ELLs). However, ELLs will need additional support in learning how to read, and the strategies here will help you to provide assistance in your everyday teaching, particularly for newcomers (students who have recently arrived in... Note: This article was adapted from excerpts of the ESL/Bilingual Resource Guide for Mainstream Teachers (opens in a new window), published by the Portland, OR Public School District. Teaching reading to English language learners (ELLs) may seem daunting, but the good news is that you don’t have to learn an entirely new method. You can and should use what you already know to be effective, research-based reading instruction.

However, ELLs will need additional support in learning how to read. The strategies below will help you to provide this much-needed assistance in the context of your everyday teaching, particularly for newcomers (students who have recently arrived in the U.S.). For more information, take a look at Colorín Colorado’s section on Teaching Reading (opens in a new window). Look for reading material for English Language Learners (ELLs) that contains some of these characteristics, especially at the beginning of the school year: Teaching English learners to read in English is a difficult but extremely rewarding journey. The role of the teacher involves not just teaching fundamentals like vocabulary and phonics but also finding ways to engage readers with text that they care about and want to read.

This article breaks down the stages of appreciating reading and provides strategies and resources to support teaching reading to English language learners. A note on language: in this article we employ the common phrase English language learner, along with the acronym ELL, to describe students whose first language isn’t English but are learning within a predominantly... school. However, we recognize the challenge of categorically describing these learners. Students who are learning English do not fit neatly into a single label. The appreciation of reading can be broken down into five stages.

These stages build on one another as we grow and learn. They deepen our understanding of the written word: So, what does this have to do with engaging English learners with text? It’s very simple. We regularly ask ELLs to start at Stage 4 in most of our classrooms. We say, “Let’s read this information about Mesopotamia and see what you can understand.” We fall into the content trap.

However, there are ways to engage our ELLs with texts and to sidestep the trap. The key is to foster a general interest in reading. By encouraging these students to engage with works that interest them, you are ultimately building the skillset they need to be successful in their classroom content reading. Give them time and help them find joy in reading. From there, they will be able to tell you all about Mesopotamia. The large and growing number of children for whom English is a second language has thrust upon the educational community – practitioners no less than researchers – extremely important questions and challenges not traditionally...

By far the most controversial of these is whether it is more desirable to promote literacy in a first or second language for limited-English-speaking children. Although far from conclusive, there is evidence that initial reading instruction in a child's home language (e.g., Spanish) makes a positive contribution to literacy attainment (both in the home language and in English) and,... The question of how best to promote literacy learning in either or both languages is just as important but overshadowed by the politically more volatile issues of which language should be used and for... Researchers and educators possess scant empirical guidance on how best to design literacy instruction for such children in either their primary language or English, much less in both. Appropriate government agencies and private foundations are urged to sponsor research on the factors that influence the literacy acquisition of children for whom English is not the primary language. For various primary languages (e.g., Spanish, Khmer, Chinese) and along key language dimensions such as alphabetic and nonalphabetic writing systems and traditionally literate versus nonliterate languages, issues that need to be addressed include:

Supporting English language learners (ELLs) with reading can often feel like one of the most difficult parts of language instruction. You’re not just teaching them how to sound out words, you’re helping them build comprehension, expand vocabulary, and develop academic language, often all at once. If you’ve ever wondered how to make reading more accessible and meaningful for your ELLs, this post is for you. We all know that teaching isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be this hard. Equipping ELLs is a podcast for both ESL specialists and homeroom teachers who are looking for effective and engaging ways to support their English Language Learners without adding to their endless to-do list. Tune in each week to hear tips, strategies, and inspirational stories that will empower you to better reach your ELL students, equip them with life-long skills, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and parents.

Your host, Beth Vaucher, is the founder of Inspiring Young Learners. She is an ESL certified homeroom teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the US and internationally. Her background of M.Ed in ESL and Curriculum and Instruction combined with her experience has led her to develop a bestselling newcomer curriculum that has sold in over 90 countries around the globe. She brings a different perspective to teaching ELLs from her years teaching and living abroad and working with ELLs from around the world. You will walk away from each episode with the ideas and tools you need to transform your experience as a teacher and cultivate a thriving and welcoming environment for your ELL students. Your email address will not be published.

Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Did you know that more than 10% of all public school students in the United States are English Language Learners (ELLs)? We want to ensure that the strategies we use when teaching these students support their specific needs. In this post, we’ll look at special considerations and reading strategies you can use when working with ELLs. We know from research that having relevant and sufficient background knowledge of a topic is important to comprehending texts.

Since our students are coming to us with different lived experiences, they may not all be familiar with the concepts and terminology presented in the classroom texts we use. Getting to know who your students are and what their past educational experiences were like is important; once you have a better sense of what prior knowledge they bring with them, you can determine... For example, a 2nd grader from El Salvador may not have knowledge of the Declaration of Independence, but you could talk with them about their home country’s Independence Day—what it means to them and... Making these connections and focusing on key vocabulary words like “independence” can help activate prior knowledge and set the context before reading about the Declaration of Independence. Anticipation guides are also a great way to activate and better understand the background knowledge students have about a topic. Text-dependent questions are often used during close reading and require students to draw conclusions or provide evidence from the text.

In theory, students should be able to answer questions using just the information found in that text. But in crafting text-dependent questions for ELLs, be aware that students may need scaffolds to understand the layers of meaning in the text. Here are a few things to keep in mind: For more information on text-dependent questions and how to best support ELLs, check out this article by Diane Staehr Fenner.

People Also Search

• Recommendations for Teaching Reading to ELLs
• Reading 101 for English Language Learners - Colorín Colorado
• The Six Most Effective Instructional Strategies for ELLs—According to ...
• Evidence-based reading interventions for English language learners: A ...
• PDF Effective Reading Intervention Practices for English Language Learners
• Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Reading Instruction
• 7 ELL Strategies for Reading Success | HMH - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Recommendations for Teaching Reading to ELLs - Colorín Colorado
• 5 Essential Reading Routines for Supporting ELL Readers
• Reading Instruction for English Language Learners