Comprehension

Tags: Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Language of Instruction;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses: Will linguistic modification of tests affect the performance on math varied of the three subgroups of students (EL, NEP, and EP students). If so, will the linguistic modification improve student math performance for the EL and NEP students relative to the EP students?

Findings:

• Linguistic modifications did produce an improvement on math tests among ELs (English learners) and NEPs (non–English learners non–English proficient students), while EP (English-proficient) scores remained the same (as expected).

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Upon request, this report is available in alternate formats, such as Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette. For more information, please contact the Department's Alternate Format Center at 202-260-9895 or 202-205-8113.

Sato, E., Rabinowitz, S., Gallagher, C. Huang, C.W. (2010). Accommodations for English language learner students: the effect of linguistic modification of math test item sets. (NCEE 2009–4079). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Tags: Comprehension; Intervention; Language Proficiency; Struggling Readers;

Target Population: Post-secondary

Research Questions the Report Poses: What policies are practices exist/should be developed to ensure to success of adolescent second-language learners?

Findings:

• Building Human Capital: Providing Educators with Tools to Support ELLs
• Meeting the Demand for ESL Specialists
• The Role of Partnerships and Cross-Systems Collaboration
• Recognizing the Diversity of the ELL Population and Differentiating Support
• College Access for ELL Students

Policy Recommendations:

• Build the capacity of all educators, including content-area teachers, to provide effective instruction for ELLs
• Support programs that develop a pipeline of educators who are trained and certified to specialize in ESL instruction
• Promote institutional partnerships and cross-systems collaboration
• Ensure that policies are responsive to the diversity of the ELL population.
• Support opportunities for postsecondary education and careers for immigrant students.

• Read the Full Report

Building Capacity to Promote College- and Career Readiness for Secondary English Language Learners: Policy Briefing featuring Austin, Texas. (2010.) Washington, DC: American Youth Policy Forum. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from: http://www.aypf.org/tripreports/2010/documents/Austin%20Building%20Capacity%20for%20ELLs%20Iss

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Content Areas: The Arts; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Placement; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: How do ELL students acquire literacy in a second language?

Findings:

• Instructional approaches that focus on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension-have clear benefits for ELLs. Like their native English speaking peers, ELLs benefit from these strategies as well as writing instruction.
• For students to become literate in English several instructional qualities need to be met including: content coverage, intensity and thorough instruction,
• ELL specific instruction, monitoring learning, and teacher preparation.
• Oral proficiency and literacy in the first language can be used to facilitate literacy development in English.
• Researchers have documented few sociocultural impacts on literacy achievement or development. However, researchers have found that home language experiences can have a positive impact on literacy achievement.

• Link to Full Report

August, D. and Shanahan, T. (2006). Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Center for Applied Linguistics, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah, NJ.

Tags: Comprehension; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Vocabulary;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses: How can teachers integrate language and content in mainstream subject-matter classes to facilitate English language acquisition?

Findings:
Our mainstream subject-matter classes are becoming increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse. It is imperative that subject-matter teachers sensitize their instruction to English language learners' backgrounds and needs and teach subject-matter knowledge through language.

Policy Recommendations:

• Subject-matter teachers should systematically teach discipline-specific language. They should also pay attention to the functional use of language in classroom discussions.
• Teachers should use writing as a tool to promote language development by aligning writing assignments with language-development needs.
• Teachers also need to be aware of students' English proficiency levels and cultural and education backgrounds so they can tailor their instruction to specific language needs.

• Read the Full Report

Dong, Y.R. (2005). Educating language learners: getting at the content. Educational Leadership, 62(4), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/dec04/vol62/num04/Getting-at-the-Content.aspx

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Language Proficiency; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Placement; Spelling; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: In spite of the debate over bilingual versus English-only education, the fundamental question remains: What are the best ways to teach English literacy to English language learners, and what rate of achievement in English is realistic to expect?

Findings:

• ELLs need the same kind of reading instruction that works for native speakers, more of it, and they need to be watched carefully so they get help adjusted to their language development needs as soon as they encounter problems;
• ELL students can learn basic English reading skills in two years, but their chances of falling behind later in school are greater than native English speaking children;
• There is no evidence that the extra teaching that ELLs need can be effectively offered in "pullout" programs that are not closely integrated with the main literacy program;
• ELLs benefit from lengthening the school day and/or year; and
• ELLs need teachers who can deliver reading instruction shown to be most effective, and these teachers need intensive professional development

Policy Recommendations:

• Give English language learners extra time and instruction in literacy, either through longer school days or extended years;
• Assign the best teachers to English learners and provide professional development in effective teaching strategies;
• Use proven techniques for teaching basic word recognition skills, including phonics and phonological awareness;
• Provide lots of practice reading and frequent assessments to pinpoint children's reading strengths and weaknesses;
• Provide structured academic conversation, built around books and other subject matter activities to build vocabulary and comprehension; and
• Provide several years of intensive, high-quality instruction to help students master the vocabulary, comprehension, and oral language skills that will make them fully fluent in speaking, reading, and writing English.

• Download research brief (89KB PDF)*

Resnick, L.B., Ed. (2004). English Language Learners: Boosting Academic Achievement. Research Points, 2(1). American Educational Research Association: Washington DC.

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Parent Involvement and Outreach / PTA; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: The paper provides an overview of research and knowledge that educators can use to create schools in which English learners thrive and achieve at high levels.

Policy Recommendations:

• Invest in building a qualified educator workforce;
• Build a meaningful accountability system for English learners;
• Assure that educators have the materials they need to deliver high quality English Language Development; and
• Demonstrate new models of successful schools for English learners

• Link to Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
University of California
Linguistic Minority Research Institute
4722 South Hall
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3220

Olsen, L. (2006). Ensuring Academic Success for English Learners. University of California: Linguistic Minority Research Institute.

Tags: Comprehension; Content Areas: Science; Differentiated Instruction; Vocabulary;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the most effective strategies for teaching science to English learners?

Findings:
ELLs need specialized instruction in all content subjects that cater to their language skills.

Policy Recommendations:

• Develop academic language through scientific instruction and sophisticated vocabulary.
• The key to building on ELL experiences and leading them to reading and writing about science is engaging them in purposeful guided instructional conversation.
• Science vocabulary development represents a continuing thread of academic grow for ELLs as they progress in English proficiency.
• Utilize Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) to teach science, with such strategies as: visual aids, demonstrations, pre-reading activities, graphic organizers, and adaptation of textbooks to make the content comprehensible.

• Read the Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
California Science Project, 3806 Geology Building, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567. It also can be found online at http://csmp.ucop.edu/csp.

Dobb, Fred. (2004). Essential Elements of Effective Science Instruction for English Learners. 2nd edition. California Science Project: Los Angeles, CA. Retrieved from: http://docushare.ycs.k12.pa.us/docushare/dsweb/GetRendition/Document-7526/html.

Tags: Comprehension; Rights, Students;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses: How can educators assess students' mastery of subject matter while minimizing the role of the student's English proficiency in its measurement?

Findings:
Considerations important to planning assessments:

• Test purpose
• Defining the construct (what is being assessed)
• Developing the assessment specifications (ie domain of knowledge and skills, number and types of items or tasks, relative weight of tasks and skills, etc)
• Developing test items and scoring criteria (ie defining expectations
• The insights external reviewers provide can help test developers understand how students are likely to interpret test materials and how members of different populations may respond to test items, even better than internal reviewers.
• For ELLs, the primary goal of testing accommodations is to ensure that they have the same opportunity as native English speakers to demonstrate their knowledge or skills in a content area, so unless language proficiency is part of the construct being measured, it should not play a major role in whether an examinee can answer a test item correctly.

Policy Recommendations:

• In developing assessment specifications, consider domain of knowledge and skills, number and types of items or tasks (offer variety of manners to demonstrate knowledge), relative weight of tasks and skills, assessment and response forms, and cultural background and diversity.
• In developing test items and scoring criteria:
*Match the task to the purpose *Define expectations *Write appropriate directions *Use accessible language *Use clear presentation/formatting
• Evaluate tasks ahead of time through tryouts
• Familiarize test scorers with common styles found in ELL-produced answers so they can understand them better and more accurately score their work.
• To the extent practical, decide on accommodations for individual students, not as a collective group.

• Read the Full Report

Pitoniak, M.J., Young, J.W., Martiniello, M., King, T.C., Buteux, A., and Ginsburgh, M. (2009). Guidelines for the Assessment of English Language Learners. Princeton, New Jersey: Educational Testing Service.

Tags: Comprehension; Differentiated Instruction;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the best practical strategies that content area teachers can use to support English language learners in their classrooms?

Findings:

• Teacher preparation
• Building background knowledge (pre–teaching difficult concepts and vocabulary)
• Pre–teaching strategies to increase comprehension
• Introducing the text, with visuals and objectives
• Encouraging oral academic English
• Using writing to demonstrate and extend understanding of a text and its contents

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Helping English Language Learners Understand Content-Area Texts. Indiana Department of Education. Indianapolis, Indiana.

Tags: Comprehension; Language Proficiency; Transfer of Literacy Skills;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: How long does it take English language learners to develop oral proficiency and academic proficiency in English?

Findings:

• Rapid English language acquisition is unrealistic.
• The two California districts used in the sample are considered the most successful teaching English to limited English proficient students. In these high performing districts:
  • Oral proficiency takes 3 to 5 years to develop; and
  • Academic English proficiency takes 4 to 7 years to develop

Policy Recommendations:
California should begin a longitudinal survey to track the normative development of ELL students.

• Read the Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
The University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute University of California, Santa Barbara 4722 South Hall, MC 3220 Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3220

Hakuta, K., Butler, Y.G., and Witt, D. (2000, January). How long does it take English language learners to develop oral proficiency and academic proficiency in English? Stanford, CA: University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute.

Tags: Comprehension; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language Proficiency; Latino ELL Students; Placement; Writing;

Target Population: Middle, High School, Post-Secondary

Research Questions the Report Poses: What issues should states consider to improve schooling for English language learners?

Findings:

• ELLs need high quality instruction focused on advanced literacy skills and not just on language acquisition; and
• Immersion-only programs lead to increased special education placements
• Latino ELLs are overrepresented in special education and lower tracked classrooms;

Policy Recommendations:

• States and districts need to redesign literacy work for ELLs in high schools to change from remediation to academic enrichment; and
• States and districts need to ensure that ELLs participate in rigorous, college preparation courses and receive support so that they can succeed in these courses

• Link to Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a

Koelsch, N. (2006). Improving literacy outcomes for English language learners in high school: Considerations for states and districts in developing a coherent policy Framework. National High School Center .

Tags: Comprehension; Reading; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• What is the relationship between reading comprehension and vocabulary development?
• How effective is the "Word Generation Program" in improving academic word–learning?

Findings:

• Participation in 20–22 weeks Word Generation curriculum was equivalent to two years of incidental learning. However, these results are skewed due to differences in timing of pretest, meaning that while the Word Generation did improve word–learning, it was not as significant as this result would indicate.
• Boys learned more words than girls.
• Participants in Word Generation Program learned more words than non–participants.
• Language minority students learned words at a relatively faster rate than English–only students in treatment schools, but not comparison schools.
• Students who benefited most from participation in Word Generation had higher MCAS scores than students with similarly improved vocabularies acquired without Word Generation exposure.
• A longitudinal quasi–experiment follow–up showed that students who participated in the intervention maintained their relative improvements at both follow–up assessments. This indicates that Word Generation does in fact promote long–term vocabulary and reading comprehension.

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Lawrence, J.F., White, C., Snow, C.E. (2011.) "Improving Reading Across Subject Areas with Word Generation." Center for Research on Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners. Retrieved from: http://www.cal.org/create/resources/pubs/pdfs/improving-reading-across-subject-areas-with-word-generation.pdf

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Differentiated Instruction; Instructional Programs; Motivation; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the most effective ways to teach vocabulary to diverse learners?

Findings:
This article focuses on strategies and techniques for integrating vocabulary into the classroom. Some of the vocabulary areas covered are:

• Synonyms
• Antonyms
• Compound words
• Root words
• Using technology to teach vocabulary

Policy Recommendations:
N/A

• Download full article (159KB PDF)*

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Learning Point Associates 1100 17th Street N.W., Suite 500 Washington, DC 20036

Blachowicz, C.L.Z, Watts-Taffe, S. & Fisher, P. (2005). Learning Point Associates.

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Content Areas: Science; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses:

1. Do accommodation strategies help reduce the performance gap between ELL and non-ELL students? (Effectiveness)
< li>Do accommodation strategies impact the performance of non-ELL students on content-based assessments? (Validity)
2. Do student background variables impact performance on the accommodated assessments? (Differential impact)
3. Are accommodations easy to implement or use? (Feasibility)

Findings:

• Accommodation effectiveness varies by type (ie English dictionary vs. bilingual dictionary vs. linguistic modification);
• Accommodation effectiveness also varies by grade level;
• Accommodation strategies did not impact the general student population, which suggests that the tests remained valid even with the use of accommodations.
• Many background variables were significantly related to performance in the science assessments including time lived in US, initial grade enrollment in US, other schooling outside US, home language of Korean or Spanish, and fealty with spoken English at school.

Policy Recommendations:

• Because bilingual dictionaries yield varying results of benefit, accommodations that are more "pre–packaged" would be more effective, such as linguistic modifications.

• Download full report (128KB PDF)*

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Center for the Study of Evaluation National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing Graduate School of Education & Information Studies University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 90095-1522

Abedi, J., Courtney, M., Mirocha, J., Leon, S., and Goldberg, J. (2005). Language Accommodations for English Language Learners in Large-Scale Assessments. National Center for Research on Education, Standards, and Student Testing: Los Angeles, CA.

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Content Areas: The Arts; Curriculum; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency;

Target Population: Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: The report uses the example of Coachella school district's legal battle to examine whether state assessments are appropriate accountability measures for English language learners.

Findings:
N/A

Policy Recommendations:
N/A

• Purchase Report

Dillon, N. (2005). Language Test. American School Board Journal, 192(8). National School Boards Association.

Tags: Comprehension; Content Areas: Social Studies;

Target Population: Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the challenges and successes in developing an effective instructional environment for teaching secondary–level social studies curriculum to a sheltered population of ELLs?

Findings:

• Indeed, social studies instruction for English-language learner (ELL) students presents a second, uniquely embedded challenge —not only are the ELL students learning a new language and culture while in the classroom, they must learn a different interpretation of historical events, develop a different conception of government, and learn a different philosophy of citizenship.
• The ELL population encounters a number of critical barriers which may impede their citizenship education: lack of prior exposure to elementary school social studies curriculum, a rudimentary understanding of the cultural context, and more importantly, their lack of English literacy skills which are vital for comprehending social studies material, acculturation, and socialization in the dominant culture.
• Best practices for ESL students can also benefit all students in the mainstream classroom, including those who may have lower reading abilities, learning disabilities, attention-deficit disorders, or other challenges which may affect their comprehension and/or production capabilities in the classroom.

Policy Recommendations:
The authors' recommendations fall into the following categories:

• The Development of Socially Supportive Classroom Environment
• The Explicit Teaching of Academic Skills under the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA)
• Approaches for Reducing Cognitive Load and Increasing the Accessibility of Complex Content Knowledge

• Read the Full Report

Szpara, M.Y., Ahmad I. (2006). Making Social Studies Meaningful for ELL Students: Content and Pedagogy in Mainstream Secondary School Classrooms. Essays in Education, 16. Retrieved from http://www.usca.edu/essays/vol162006/ahmad.pdf

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Comprehension; Latino ELL Students; Transfer of Literacy Skills;

• Download Executive Summary (96KB PDF)*
• Order copy of full report

August, D. and Shanahan, T. (2006). Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Center for Applied Linguistics, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah, NJ.

Tags: American Indian ELL Students; Asian ELL Students; Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Latino ELL Students; Other ELL Students (Middle Eastern, African, European, etc.); Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What students are classified as being English Language Learners? How are they best identified, and what recommendations should be made to more adequately instruct possible ELL students to prevent further learning difficulties?

Findings:

• Statistics for ELLs may be hard to obtain or may be inaccurate since many ELL students go without being properly identified
• ELL students can better from more individualized instruction
• Mastery of academic language is necessary for academic success, which can prove to be difficult even for English speaking proficient ELLs
• In order to provide effective support of reading comprehension to ELLs educators must have an understanding of the child's individual needs
• In addition to reading comprehension it is crucial for students to become proficient in mathematics

Policy Recommendations:
While the article did not have any specific policy recommendations the recommendations listed in the article could be taken as such and thus included in this section.

Recommendations for Reading Instruction and interventions:

• ELLs need early, explicit, and intensive instruction in phonological awareness and phonics in order to build decoding skills.
• K-12 classrooms across the nation must increase opportunities for ELLs to develop sophisticated vocabulary knowledge.
• Reading instruction in K-12 classrooms must equip ELLs with strategies and knowledge to comprehend and analyze challenging narrative and expository texts.
• Instruction and intervention to promote ELLs' reading fluency must focus on vocabulary and increased exposure to print.
• In all K-12 classrooms across the U.S., ELLs need significant opportunities to engage in structured, academic talk.
• Independent reading is only beneficial when it is structured and purposeful, and there is a good reader-text match.

• ELLs need early explicit and intensive instruction and intervention in basic mathematics concepts and skill.
• Academic language is as central to mathematics as it is to other academic areas. It is a significant source of difficulty for many ELLs who struggle with mathematics.
• ELLs need academic language support to understand and solve the word problems that are often used for mathematics assessment and instruction.

• Link to Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
N/A

Francis, David J., Mabel Rivera, Nonie Lesaux, and Hector Rivera. (2006). Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners, Retrieved April 11,2008, from http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf

Tags: Comprehension; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency;

Target Population: High School

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• How are high school exit exams affecting districts, teachers, and students?
• How fair is it for states to require ELLs to pass an exit exam in order to graduate?
• What are the most effective strategies to help ELLs succeed on these exams?
• How are states accommodating ELLs on the exit exams?

Findings:

• Innovative programs and policies are beginning to spring up in states with exit exams.
• Over the past year, states have developed more supports for students and committed more funds to help students pass exit exams.
• Initial pass rates and achievement gaps have proved to be stubborn to move, especially in states where exit exams have been in place for several years.
• States are improving their ability to track and report on student–level data, which should help in the future to clear up some nagging questions about the impacts of exit exams on dropouts and achievement.
• Resolving fundamental questions about the fairness of exit exams and appropriateness of supports for English language learners is crucial if this reform is to succeed in helping all students.
• Rather than developing waivers or exemptions from exit exam requirements specifically for English language learners, states are choosing to require ELLs to pass exit exams, albeit with test accommodations.
• Evidence from New York and California indicates that former ELLs–students who become proficient in English and exit ELL status–are more likely to pass exit exams and are more likely to graduate than students as a whole.

Policy Recommendations:

• New strategies, which are mostly in the research stage, could increase the validity of exit exam scores for ELLs.
• New support policies and funding are necessary to improve achievement for these students and can lead to positive outcomes for ELLs.

• Read the Full Report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
n/a

Sullivan, P., Yeager, M., Chudowsky, N., Kober, N., O'Brien, E., Gayler, K. (2005). State high school exit exams: States try harder, but gaps persist. Center on Education Policy: Washington, DC. Retrieved from: http://alaskateacher.org/downloads/exit_exam_8_12_05.pdf

Tags: Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Differentiated Instruction; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Phonological Awareness; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• What is the state of our knowledge regarding policies and practices of instruction of ELLs-what do we know and what remains unanswered?
• From the current body of research, what conclusions can we make about effective policies and practices?

Findings:

• Most ELLs actually were born in the U.S., though most of their parents were born elsewhere.
• By far, the majority of ELLs-80 percent-are Spanish speakers. This is an important fact to bear in mind, since Spanish speakers in the U.S. tend to come from lower economic and educational backgrounds than either the general population or other immigrants populations. Consequently, most ELLs are at risk for poor school outcomes not only because of language, but also because of socioeconomic factors.
• A majority of ELLs (60%) are in essentially all-English instruction. Of these 12% receive no additional support or services, 50% receive some "LEP services" (Limited English Proficient), and 40% receive some instruction incorporating native language.
• Teaching students to read in their first language promotes higher levels of reading achievement in English, probably due to "knowledge transfer" across languages, though it is not automatic.
• What we know about good instruction and curriculum in general holds true for ELL s., ie benefits of explicit instruction of phonics, writing, and comprehension; contextual explanation of vocabulary; cooperative learning; interactive teaching.
• Effects of "culturally-accommodated instruction" are uncertain.

Policy Recommendations:
Instructional modification for ELLs:

• Make English texts accessible by choosing familiar content.
• Build vocabulary in English.
• Use the primary language for support.
• Support ELLs in English-only settings also.
• Assess knowledge and language proficiency separately.
• Add time for ELLs to learn (extended day, after school, extended year, summer school, extra years to earn a diploma).
• Promote productive interaction between ELLs and English speakers.

• Read the Full Report

Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English language learners: what the research does&mdash and does not&mdash say. American Educator, Retrieved from http://www.aft.org/pdfs/americaneducator/summer2008/goldenberg.pdf

Tags: Comprehension; Instructional Programs; Language Proficiency; Reading; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the best methods to teach literacy to elementary school English language learners?

Findings:

• English learners can learn to how to read in English at about the same rate as native speakers. This was not known five or ten years ago.
• English language development and comprehension needs to be improved, by introducing academic English as early as kindergarten or pre-K.
• The importance of richer vocabulary instruction than most that found in conventional reading books is critical.
• It is very productive for kids to work with their peers, and with a structured procedure, as early as kindergarten, working in groups of either two or four, assuring they know what to do.
• The most effective professional development is for grade-level teams to meet in small groups, discuss articles, and immediate determine how they apply to their own schools and programs specifically.
• The approach suggested here appears to work with all current models about language instruction.
• There is no need to delay beginning reading instruction, as long as the instruction reflects current research findings.

Policy Recommendations:

• Conduct formative assessments to screen for reading problems and monitor progress.
• Provide intensive, small group reading interventions for English learners at risk for reading problems.
• Provide extensive and varied vocabulary instruction throughout the day.
• Develop academic English competence beginning in the primary grades.
• Schedule regular peer-assisted learning opportunities, including structured language practice.

• Read the Full Report

Teaching Literacy in English to K-5 English Learners. U.S. Department of Education: Doing What Works. Washington, D.C.

Tags: Comprehension; Fluency; Motivation; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What does recent research say about the benefits of technology in helping students learn to read?

Findings:

• Available research points to many possibilities for technology to enhance reading instruction.
• Decisions about the effective uses of technology need to be based on an understanding of the school or district reading program.
• Understanding of the potential uses of technology and a careful analysis of the alignment between the needs of the reading program and the capabilities brought by the technology is vital.
• Technology can help make a good reading program more effective, but technology's value depends upon the quality of the overall reading program and the thoughtful and careful implementation of technology.

Policy Recommendations:
N/A

• Full report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
N/A

Sherman, D., Kleiman, G., and Peterson, K. (2004). Technology and Teaching Children to Read. Education Development Center.

Tags: Comprehension; Curriculum; Language Proficiency; Reading; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: All

Research Questions the Report Poses: What are the needs of ELLs? How can teachers address these needs?

Findings:

• Teachers need to get to know their students and about their home situations in order to be most effective.
• Writing well in English is often the most difficult skill for English language learners to master. Thus teachers should be aware that English language learners may not be familiar with standard American writing procedure like drafting, revision, editing, workshop, conference, audience, purpose, or genre.
• The best way to help students learn both English and the knowledge of school subjects is to teach language through content.

Policy Recommendations:

• Colleges and universities should offer pre-service teachers preparation in teaching ELLs including coursework in language acquisition, second language writing and readings, and culture classes.
• High school English departments should integrate programs that welcome and help acculturate late-arrival immigrant and refugee students with low literacy skills.
• The report also provides numerous practical recommendations for strategies in the classroom in various subjects.

• Read full report

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
The National Council of Teachers of English 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096 Phone: 217-328-3870 or 877-369-6283 Fax: 217-328-9645

NCTE ELL Task Force. (2006). NCTE Position Paper on the Role of English Teachers in Educating English Language Learners. National Council of Teachers of English: Urbana, IL.

Tags: Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Intervention; Latino ELL Students;

Target Population: Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses:

• How do the two contrasting frameworks pertain to Latino children's social competencies?
• What is the role played by social class in shaping risks (which may vary by Latino subgroup) conditioned by cultural heritage and persistence of family strengths for Latinos?
• What is the relationship between social competence and growth in mathematical understanding?

Findings:

The authors write:

• "Latino children from low-income, but not middle-class, families display weaker social competencies vis-á-vis White children (all relationships p _ .05). Social competence levels contribute to Latino children's cognitive growth, which is shaped most strongly by positive approaches to learning.
• The disparities in competencies observed for Latino children from poor families, relative to White children, are significant yet much smaller than gaps in baseline levels of mathematical understanding. We discuss how the consonance or mismatch between competencies acquired at home and those valued by teachers must consider cultural differences, social-class position, and variation among diverse Latino subgroups.

Policy Recommendations:
The authors recommend that policy analysts and educators take "greater care in distinguishing between the social and cognitive domains of development," as well as in efforts to understand young Latinos' diversity and social competencies upon entering school.

• Read the Full Report

Galindo, C., Fuller B. (2010). The Social Competence of Latino Kindergartners and Growth in Mathematical Understanding. American Psychological Association. Retrieved January 14, 2011 from: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/dev-46-3-579.pdf

Tags: Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language Proficiency; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Reading; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary, Middle, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What does research tell us about teaching reading to English Language Learners?

Findings:

• Literacy in the native language is an advantage.
• ELLs cannot develop phonological awareness in English until they are familiar with the sounds of English; once phonological awareness has developed in any language, it transfers to other languages that are learned.
• Systematic phonics instruction can be very effective in helping ELLs learn to decode words: the most effective reading programs for ELLs combine systematic phonics instruction with a print-rich environment that provides exposure to appealing reading materials in varied genres.
• ELLs cannot achieve fluency in oral reading before they have achieved fluency in speaking: self-consciousness about accents and errors can affect reading fluency.
• ELLs need more vocabulary instruction than their native-speaking peers, with different vocabulary words and vocabulary teaching techniques.
• ELLs are more likely than native speakers to lack the background knowledge necessary for understanding texts

Policy Recommendations:

• Substantial coverage of the five essential elements of reading instruction-phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension-helps.
• Reading programs for ELLs should include intensive language development as well as instruction in literacy strategies and skills.
• Instruction needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of ELLs.

Irujo, S. (2007). What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners? Haverhill, MA: The ELL Outlook.