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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.

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Research & Reports

Differentiated Instruction

Are California's Reading Textbooks Adequate for Teaching English Learners?

by University of California's Linguistic Minority Research Institute / Robert Calfee

Calfee, R. (2006). Are California's Reading Textbooks Adequate for Teaching English Learners? University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute: Santa Barbara, CA.

Topics Covered: Access, Equity, and Adequacy;

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Rights, Students; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: Are California's Reading Textbooks Adequate for Teaching English Learners?

Summary: In 2002, the California State Board of Education adopted programs that required publishers to meet the language arts needs of ELLs. This article is a review of the ELL supplement, the Teacher's Edition for the supplement, and two of the reading series included with the supplement. It also surveys 57 elementary school teachers on their experiences with the materials and the related professional development.

Findings:

  • The materials offered little specific ELL assistance to students of teachers, and what was offered was contrary to best practice.
  • The professional development for ELL instruction was limited in both time and scope.
  • The "supplement strategy" mandated by the Board was practically unworkable.

Policy Recommendations:

  • Design an instructional support system that helps teachers deal with student diversity
  • Directly address the issues of effective instruction for ELL students
  • Advise how to manage student differences and time allocation
  • Develop a program of ongoing professional development

Beating the Odds in Teaching All Children to Read

by Barbara M. Taylor, P. David Pearson, Kathleen F. Clark, Sharon Walpole / Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement

Taylor, B., Pearson, P., Clark, K., & Walpole, S. (1999). Beating the odds in teaching all children to read. CIERA Report #2-006. University of Michigan: Ann Arbor.

Topics Covered: Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3);

Tags: Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Placement; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: Which school-level and teacher-level factors affect reading achievement?

Summary:

The authors used quantitative and descriptive methods to investigate school and classroom factors related to primary-grade reading achievement. Fourteen schools across the U.S. with moderate to high numbers of students on subsidized lunch were identified as most, moderately, or least effective based on several measures of reading achievement in the primary grades.

A combination of school and teacher factors, many of which were intertwined, was found to be important in the most effective schools. Statistically significant school factors included strong links to parents, systematic assessment of pupil progress, strong building communication, and a collaborative model for the delivery of reading instruction, including early reading interventions. Statistically significant teacher factors included time spent in small group instruction, time spent in independent reading, high pupil engagement, and strong home communication. More of the most accomplished teachers were frequently observed teaching word recognition by coaching as children were reading, in addition to providing explicit phonics instruction, than the least accomplished teachers and teachers in the moderately or least effective schools.

Additionally, more of the most accomplished teachers and those in effective schools were frequently observed asking higher level questions after reading than their counterparts. In all of the most effective schools, reading was clearly a priority at both the building and classroom level.

Findings:

  • Children in primary grades make the greatest growth when a high proportion of their reading instruction is delivered through small ability groups, with regularly monitored progress, and plenty of time to learn needed skills and strategies
  • Teachers that help students thrive in reading are skilled coaches and keep all children academically engaged
  • Schools have a long way to go in improving reading instruction in the primary grades

Policy Recommendations:
n/a see findings

Ensuring Academic Success for English Learners

by Laurie Olson, UC Linguistic Minority Research Institute

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

Topics Covered: Assessment and Accommodations;

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.

Summary: This report, or position paper, highlights nine elements of a strong program, based on three decades of research. The report recommends best practices that include accessible preschool programs, support for newcomers of all ages, and a focus on English language development.

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

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

Improving Reading Comprehension of English Learners Through Listening Comprehension Instruction

by University of California's Linguistic Minority Research Institute / Emily Solari

Solari, E. (2007). Improving Reading Comprehension of English Learners through Listening Comprehension Instruction. University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute: Santa Barbara, California

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early (Pre-K); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3);

Tags: Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Latino ELL Students; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Struggling Readers; Transfer of Literacy Skills; Vocabulary;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: Can focusing on listening comprehension help ELLs to improve their overall literacy?

Summary: The article is a summary of research conducted on Spanish-speaking kindergarten students. The aim of the research was to see if, by concentrating on listening comprehension with on a group of students, their reading comprehension could be raised. The research was conducted using both at risk and non-at risk students, and results were compared against a control group that did not receive emphasis on listening comprehension.

Findings:

  • Intervention for ELL kindergarteners, both at-risk and non at-risk, can concentrate on an important pre-cursor to reading comprehension (i.e. listening comprehension) without loss of positive effects on word level skills.

Policy Recommendations:
No recommendations given other than to examine more closely the use of listening comprehension and other reading pre-cursors in interventions.

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

Integrated Vocabulary Instruction: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners in Grades K-5

by Camille L. Z. Blachowicz, Peter J. Fisher, Susan Watts-Taffe / Learning Point Associates

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

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Upper Elementary (4-6);

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 different ways that vocabulary can be integrated into the classroom to teach a variety of learners?

Summary: The goal of this document is to provide the information that teachers and other educators need to implement an integrated and comprehensive approach to vocabulary instruction. Integrated means that vocabulary is a core consideration in all grades across the school and in all content areas across the school day. Comprehensive means that vocabulary instruction encompasses much more than a list of words to teach at the beginning of the week. Rather, it involves a common philosophy and shared practices, based on a solid understanding the knowledge base and supported by curricular considerations as well as classroom and school organizational procedures.

Findings:
This article does not contain research findings so much as it contains a collection of 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:
None; this is not so much a policy document as it is a collection of strategies for teachers to use to teach vocabulary more effectively. If anything, the policy recommendation is for teachers to begin incorporating some of these techniques.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
Learning Point Associates
1100 17th Street N.W., Suite 500
Washington, DC 20036
(P): 800-252-0283

Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children

by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); International Reading Association (IRA)

International Reading Association (IRA) & National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (1998). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. NAEYC: Washington, DC.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early (Pre-K); Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction; Early Elementary (K-3);

Tags: Books and Other Reading Materials; Comprehension; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Motivation; Phonics; Phonological Awareness; Placement; Reading; Vocabulary; Writing;

Target Population: Preschool, Elementary

Research Questions the Report Poses: How does the research from the 1990s inform best practices for teachers and policymakers when it comes to teaching young students how to read and write?

Summary: Learning to read and write is critical to a child's success in school and later in life. Although reading and writing abilities continue to develop throughout the life span, the early childhood years--from birth through age eight--are the most important period for literacy development. The primary purpose of this position statement is to provide guidance to teachers of young children in schools and early childhood programs (including child care centers, preschools, and family child care homes) serving children from birth through age eight. By and large, the principles and practices suggested here also will be of interest to any adults who are in a position to influence a young child's learning and development--parents, grandparents, older siblings, tutors, and other community members.

Findings:
n/a

Policy Recommendations:

  1. A comprehensive, consistent system of early childhood professional preparation and ongoing professional development
  2. Sufficient resources to ensure adequate ratios of qualified teachers to children and small groups for individualizing instruction.
  3. Sufficient resources to ensure classrooms, schools, and public libraries that include a wide range of high-quality children's books, computer software, and multimedia resources at various levels of difficulty and reflecting various cultural and family backgrounds.
  4. Policies that promote children's continuous learning progress.
  5. Appropriate assessment strategies that promote children's learning and development.
  6. Access to regular, ongoing health care for every child.
  7. Increased public investment to ensure access to high-quality preschool and child care programs for all children who need them.

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

National Literacy Panel's Executive Summary
Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth.

by National Literacy Panel, Diane August, Timothy Shanahan

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: 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?

Summary: The National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth systematically and rigorously examined the research on acquiring literacy in a second language. The full report was never published but the executive summary is useful for its vision and purposeful intent.

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.

Teaching Reading Is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do

by The American Federation of Teachers

Moats, L. C. (1999). Teaching reading is rocket science: What expert teachers of reading should know and be able to do. Washington, DC: American Federation of Teachers.

Topics Covered: Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

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

Target Population: Elementary School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What practices in the classroom and elements in curriculums facilitate teaching reading to students?

Summary: This report discusses the current state of teacher preparation in reading. It reviews the reading research and describes the knowledge base that is essential for teacher candidates and practicing teachers to master if they are to be successful in teaching all children to read well. Developed by the American Federation of Teachers(AFT).

Findings:
The following are all part of effective reading instruction:

  • Direct teaching of decoding, comprehension, and literature appreciation
  • Phoneme awareness instruction
  • Systematic and explicit instruction in the code system of written English
  • Daily exposure to a variety of texts, as well as incentives for children to read independently and with others
  • Vocabulary instruction that includes a variety of complementary methods designed to explore the relationships among words and the relationships among word structure, origin, and meaning
  • Comprehension strategies that include prediction of outcomes, summarizing, clarification, questioning, and visualization
  • Frequent writing of prose to enable a deeper understanding of what is read

Policy Recommendations:
The following recommendations pertain to professional development that should be employed to best train reading teachers:

  • Research should guide the profession.
  • Core requirements and standards for new teachers should be established.
  • Teacher education programs should be aligned with standards for students and licensing requirements for teachers.
  • Professional development institutes should be created for professors of education and master teachers.
  • Developers of textbooks and instructional materials should be encouraged to improve their products.
  • High-quality professional development must be available for teachers.
  • An investment in teaching should be made to attract and retain high-caliber teacher candidates.

To order a hard copy of the report, contact:
http://www.aft.org/teachers/pubs-reports/reading.htm

The Role of English Teachers in Educating English Language Learners (ELLs)

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.

Topics Covered: Best Teaching Practices / Professional Development; Bilingual Education; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

Tags: Bilingual Instruction; Bilingualism / Biliteracy; Comprehension; Content Areas: Math; Content Areas: Science; Content Areas: Social Studies; Curriculum; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Language of Instruction; Reading; Struggling Readers; Vocabulary; Writing;

Summary:

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has pulled together information from a broad range of research on how to support English language learners in the classroom. It takes into account the variety of skill levels and background knowledge of ELL students and suggests best practices for teaching language, reading, writing, and content.

Urgent but Overlooked: The Literacy Crisis Among Adolescent English Language Learners

by Alliance for Excellent Education

(February 2007). Urgent but overlooked: The literacy crisis among adolescent English Language Learners. Retrieved April 11, 2008, from Alliance For Excellent Education Web site: http://www.all4ed.org/files/UrgentOver.pdf

Topics Covered: About ELLs; Assessment and Accommodations; Bilingual Education; Literacy and Reading / Writing Instruction;

Tags: American Indian ELL Students; Asian ELL Students; Bilingual Instruction; Comprehension; Differentiated Instruction; Fluency; Instructional Programs; Intervention; Language of Instruction; Language Proficiency; Latino ELL Students; Other ELL Students (Middle Eastern, African, European, etc.); Reading; Transfer of Literacy Skills;

Target Population: Pre-K, Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Research Questions the Report Poses: What factors prevent ELL students from receiving effective literacy instruction?

Summary: ELL students represent the fastest growing segment of the student population and yet with respect to reading and literacy rates they are among the country's lowest performing students. This article looks at the crisis of low literacy rates among ELL students, what research is currently being done, the findings of that research, addresses key policy questions needing to be addressed by policymakers as well as a brief look into the types of support needed in order to provide ELL students with effective literacy instruction.

Findings:

  • ELLs comprise 10.5 percent of the nation's pre-K-12 school enrollment, up from 5 percent in 1990
  • ELLs continually score lower on the reading portion of the National Assessment of Educational Progress
  • As the population of ELL students increases so does the demand from teachers for better methods of instruction
  • The literacy needs of ELLs are both identical and distinct to their English-proficient peers
  • Local, state, and federal policymakers need to address effect of the growing ELL student population's effect on demographic trends, educational challenges, school performance, etc.
  • Improvements must be made on the types of support available to teachers working with ELL students, with special recognition that there are no one size fits all approaches to effective literacy instruction
  • It should be the goal of the nation to educate all students

Policy Recommendations:
N/A

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