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Core Strategies to Support English

Language Learnersby Barr, Eslami, & Joshi (2012)

Article Summary – EDU 215Dr. 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)

Introduction

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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

Why ELLs Struggle with Reading

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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

Literature Review

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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

Research, cont…

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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

Research, cont…

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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

Direct, Explicit Teaching

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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

Research Findings: Interventions That Work for

ELLs

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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

Oral Vocabulary

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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

(student-friendly) 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

Best Strategies to Increase Vocabulary for ELLs

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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

Summary

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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.”

Conclusion