Effective Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners:

Closing the achievement Gap

By: Teresa Alba, Manuela Noble, and

Shawne Murphy

Factors which may impact onStudent Learning

Trauma– Before flight– During flight– After arrival

Lack of formal education/academic gaps Literacy Needs Exposure to English (EAL/ESL) Experience with classroom culture Culture Shock/Cultural Conflicts

Overview of challenges and obstacles faced by newcomer students

(Adapted from Mapping the Edmonton Context)

Loss of Hope: Few Opportunities for Success

racism

lack of role models

Bicultural stress

marginalization

students confidencechallenged

ESL programming lacking standardized benchmarks, curricula

Limited human resources for ESL

Lack of alternate pathways for older learners facing age cap – rushed through system

Inadequate supports for ESL, literacy

and academic learning

Teachers may encounter classroom behaviors that relate to premigration trauma & lack knowledge about how to best support student

Teachers lack resources & support to become more culturally aware and culturally competent

Curriculum and resources may be culturally ethnocentric, oriented to mainstream

Learning environment

and media not fully appropriate

Families struggle to

support children in

school

Literacy issues, communication problems

Family stress related to changing roles of parents and children

Poverty, economic pressure, lack of time

unfamiliar system; cultural differences

Unresolved settlement issues/ trauma from country of origin

Slower pace of Learning

Young ELLs in the U.S. frequently face an enormous challenge of acquiring the initial concepts and skills of literacy through English, a language they have not mastered orally.

Some ELLs have already acquired and developed literacy and academic skills in their home language(s). Once we know how to read, we can transfer our reading skills to other languages that we learn. Some ELLs have not experienced consistent schooling or appropriate instruction. This compounds the difficulties they face reading and writing English.

Some ELLs already know some English when they arrive in the U.S., while others are having their first encounter with English.

Effective Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners

Like all children, ELLs vary in their nutrition and care histories, family structure and stability, household composition, parental education and socioeconomic status, neighborhood and community resources, exposure to literacy, life experiences, knowledge, cultural norms, abilities, and dispositions.

ELLs bring with them varied cultural experiences that have shaped their notions of appropriate adult-child interaction.

ELLs differ from each other in their previous literacy experiences. For example, a chronological narration of events is highly valued in U.S. schools, while in other settings narratives are judged on imagery, poetics, word play, contextual details, or other criteria.

• Processes of second language (L2) literacy development are qualitatively different from processes of native language (L1) literacy development.

• L2 literacy development takes time (often 4-9 years to reach proficiency in academic literacy)

• Processes of L2 literacy development are influenced by a number of variables that interact with each other.

WHAT IS EFFECTIVE LITERACY INSTRUCTIONS?

DO ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER STUDENTS BENEFIT IN THE SAME WAY FROM THE SAME LITERACY TEACHING PRACTICES THAT HELP NATIVE ENGLISH LEARNER STUDENTS?

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE LITERACY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS WHO ARE IN

ELEMENTARY GRADES?

HOW EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONS WILL IMPROVE LITERACY FOR ENGLISH LEARNER STUDENTS?

WHICH STRATEGIES CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE LITERACY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS? 

TEACHERS OF ELL STUDENTS FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN THE CLASSROOM. CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IS KEY TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES. WHILE THE DEBATE CONTINUES ON THE BEST WAY TO EDUCATE ELLS, TEACHERS WILL HAVE TO MAKE PERSONAL CHOICES REGARDING CURRICULUM. REGARDLESS OF ONE’S PERSONAL BELIEFS, WE MUST REMEMBER TO BE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND STRIVE TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THE ACADEMIC AND DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS OF EACH CHILD.

Closing Thoughts:

• Effective literacy instructions for ELL in elementary grades should be multidimensional and the teacher should look for understanding at all the time.

• Develops oral English proficiency by filling in the gab of literacy knowledge between ELL and native speakers caused by the limitation of vocabulary in ELL.

• It is differentiated and• Requires well-prepared teachers. 

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Federal PL 107-110, The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Title IX, General Provisions, Part A Definitions, Section 9101(25)

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Unites States Department of Education. (2010). http://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/edfacts/state-profiles/georgia.pdf. Retrieved October 4, 2010.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). The Condition of Education 2010 (NCES 2010-028), Indicator 5.