Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Reading in Upper Elementary, Middle, and High School
Although Colorín Colorado was designed for PreK-3, much of the information on this web site is also relevant for grades 4-8. English language learners (ELLs) enter U.S. schools in all grade levels, and with a wide range of backgrounds, reading skills, English language proficiency, and content knowledge. Older ELLs (and their teachers) face many of the same challenges as ELLs in the early grades.
We encourage you to browse this web site and glean any information, suggestions, or resources that are relevant to your situation. You might find the Teaching Content Areas section to be of particular interest.
Although the Teaching Reading section is geared to the earlier grades, it may still prove helpful. Many older ELLs may still need explicit instruction with basic skills such as reading comprehension, and developing depth and breadth of vocabulary.
Be sure to adjust strategies and reading materials so that they are age-appropriate for your students. It is important to find texts, books, and poetry that may have lower reading levels, but are still age appropriate in terms of interest, content, and appearance.
For additional information and resources on upper grades, take a look at our monthly electronic newsletter, the T·ELL·E-GRAM. It offers research-based support and field-tested ideas to preK-12 educators of ELLs.
You can also watch a webcast about English language learners in middle and high school. Recommended readings, discussion questions, a transcript, and related links complement this webcast.
Thanks for all you do. This should be an obligatory web site for teachers. Keep up the great
work.
~ Robert M.
