Transcript Core Strategies to Support English Language Learners by Barr

Article Summary – EDU 215
Dr. Megan J. Scranton
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2 fastest-growing populations in U.S. consist
of Hispanic (50.5 million) & Asian/Pacific
Islander (11.8 million) of the 308 million
76% of these people five years & older speak
their mother tongue (a language other than
English)
In 2009, only 30% of ELLs (vs. 69% not ELLs)
were at or above basic & only 7% scored at or
above proficient (vs. 34% not ELLs) on the
NAEP (National Assessment of Educational
Progress)
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Poor reading comprehension
Low reading vocabulary
Lack phonemic awareness skills
Difficulty with phonics
Decreased reading fluency
Difficulty with spelling
Teachers lack understanding of the concepts
related to English language needed to teach
reading skills
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Reading & vocabulary instruction can serve as
core instructional processes that respond to the
literacy needs of ELLs
At any age, poor readers, as a group, exhibit
weaknesses in phonological processing & word
recognition speed & accuracy
Success in reading comprehension is directly
related to one’s vocabulary knowledge
If students do not know the words they are
reading & cannot derive meaning from context,
they must expand their vocabularies & learn a
repertoire of comprehension strategies
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With skilled, explicit instruction, many children
who start school speaking little or no English can
gain word reading & spelling skills equal to those
of native speakers in 2 – 3 years
Developing vocabulary & comprehension skills is
much harder & takes longer
Understanding written texts depends on gaining
competence in spoken English
If children receive instruction in phonological &
alphabetic skills, & learn to apply that knowledge
to decoding words, they are very likely to
succeed at reading
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Key = Direct, Explicit Teaching & Learning
Experiences
Use of cooperative learning & reciprocal teaching
Need to “scaffold” & “differentiate” instruction
Model correct grammar & pronunciation
Ask challenging, higher-level questions
Know the ELL’s level of literacy
Teaching students to read in their first language
promotes higher levels of reading achievement in
English – can transfer skills from one language to
another
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5 components: Phonological awareness,
phonics, vocabulary, fluency, & text
comprehension
Syntax & Grammar
Writing
Spelling
Pronunciation
Norms of social usage
Ample meaningful opportunities to use
English academically & authentically
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Direct teaching of decoding
Literature appreciation
Phoneme awareness instruction
Systematic & explicit instruction in the code
system of written English (phonics)
Incentives for children to read
Vocabulary instruction
Comprehension strategies
Frequent writing of prose
Daily exposure to a variety of texts
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A large oral vocabulary is a significant factor in a
child’s later reading success
Oral vocabulary facilitates understanding words in
print
Oral language comprehension usually indicates the
maximum level of reading comprehension
Need to specifically target oral vocabulary for ELLs
Allow for self-selection of vocabulary
Emphasize structural analysis
Help develop content area vocabulary (Tier 3 words)
Teach multiple meanings & different connotations
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Link new vocabulary with background knowledge
Focus on semantic relationships of new & familiar
words & concepts
Restate dictionary definitions in own words (studentfriendly)
Use synonyms, antonyms, & dictionary definitions to
understand Tier 3 words
Use structural analysis (i.e., affixes, contractions)
Use contextual analysis activities (surrounding
words/sentences) – work cooperatively
Maintain personal content-related word lists/banks
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ELLs need direct vocabulary instruction
ELLs need to be motivated; know their interests,
attributes, & specific areas of need
The correlation among vocabulary development,
spelling, & reading comprehension is high
because all depend on a common denominator:
Proficiency with language
The more deeply & thoroughly a student knows a
word, the more likely he/she will be able to
recognize it, spell it, define it, & use it
appropriately in speech & writing
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“The goal of teachers is for ELLs to
be provided appropriate
instructional processes to address
their language learning needs to
raise their levels of English
proficiency & academic
achievement & enable them to be
lifelong learners.”
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