Meeting the Needs of
English Language Learners
in Reading First
Classrooms
Today’s Goals




Examine the nature of the challenge
Identify effective strategies
Discuss an action plan at the district,
school and classroom levels
Learn about Georgia’s ESOL program,
regulations, and available resources
Some Common Terms
and Acronyms
Some Common Terms
and Acronyms
 Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
 English-Language Learner (ELL)
 English as a Second Language (ESL)
 English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
 English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
 First (Home) Language (L1)
 Second Language (L2)
 Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
The Plight
of ELLs
How many Englishlanguage learners are
in Georgia schools?
?
ELLs in Georgia Schools
From 1993 to 2004, the number of
English language learners in Georgia
rose from 11,877 to 59,126 – an
increase of 397.8%.
Source: National Center for English Language Acquisition
More Georgia Stats . . .
Public school students in LEP Programs
4.3%
Hispanic students
6.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander
2.5%
Source: NAEP, 2005
Four Types of ELL Programs
Type
Characteristics
Outcome
L1-only
L1 only is spoken. Children learn to
read in L1. (Rare in U.S.)
L1 literacy develops, but
spoken and written
English do not
Transitional
Bilingual
L1 is exclusively used at first, but
transition to English is made as
soon as possible.
L1 literacy jeopardized
in transition, but
research favors it over
English only.
Two-way
Bilingual
Equal time to L1 and English. Half
the children speak each. Parents of
English speakers desire their
children learn L1. (Rare in U.S.)
Reading and writing in
both languages develop
for both groups.
English-only
(Immersion)
Only English is spoken.
Teacher provides limited support to
ELLs. (Most common program type
in U.S.)
English slowly develops
Reading growth slowed
L1 withers since literacy
is never attained in L1
– Tabors & Snow, 2002
Four Phases of Transition to
Spoken English
1. ELLs use L1, expecting to be understood.
– They are often not understood, however.
2. ELLs grow silent.
– They realize L1 is not working for them.
3. ELLs begin using telegraphic and formulaic language.
– Telegraphic Examples:
Object names, counting
– Formulaic Examples:
Catch phrases (“Excuse me,” “I don’t know”)
4. ELLs gradually learn to use English productively.
– They blend formulaic with telegraphic speech
Examples: “I do a ice cream,” “I got a big”
– Tabors & Snow, 2002
Two Types of Oral English Proficiency
What kind is it?
What can a child do?
Conversational
(Social)
• Communicate with
peers
• Use gestures & body
language to aid and
complement language
Academic
• Comprehend oral
instruction
• Comprehend content
materials
How long does it
take to acquire?
About
2 years
5-7 years
– Adapted from Drucker, 2003
Reading and Language Development of a Native Speaker
Foundation
of Spoken
English Develops
Reading Adds to
the Foundation
Reading Builds on
This Foundation
Implications
for
Classroom
Instruction
So where do teachers start?
Most cores have an ELL
resource handbook and
related materials. Start
there. But let’s think
about general advice.
So where do teachers start?
Let’s look at some key
differences between
Spanish and English.
Spanish vs. English
Consonants
Pronounced the Same
c
l
m
n
s
Pronounced Differently
d
h
j
v
sh
r
z
Spanish vs. English
Consonants Clusters Not Heard in Spanish
st
sp
sk/sc
sm
sl
sn
sw
tw
qu
scr
spl
spr
str
squ
th
Spanish vs. English
Spanish vowels always have the same sound:
English
Long a
Spanish
e
Example
Pedro
Long e
Long i
Long o
i
ai
o
sí
jai-lai
no
Long u
Short o
u
a
usted
Pablo
Spanish vs. English
Short vowels are hard for Spanishspeaking children because most of
these phonemes do not exist in
Spanish!
Spanish vs. English
What are the implications of
these differences for
acquiring (and teaching)
phonemic awareness and
phonics?
Phonemic Awareness for
Spanish-Speaking ELLs
 Children’s knowledge of Spanish phonology may
influence how they acquire phonemic awareness in
English.
They may find it hard at first to distinguish phonemes not
heard in Spanish (e.g., v-b, s-sp, ch-sh).
 Instruction in specific pairs has been shown to have
positive results.
National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children, 2006
Phonemic Awareness for
Spanish-Speaking ELLs
 Phonemic awareness in Spanish translates into English.
That is, children can do similar tasks (segmenting,
blending, etc.).
 However, the specific phonemes are often different.
 These differences are predictable.
 Well-planned teaching leads to equal levels of phonemic
awareness for ELLs and native English speakers.
Gersten & Geva, 2005
Phonics for Spanish-Speaking ELLs
 Begin with sounds that English and Spanish share.
 Start with vowels and consonants that represent sounds
that are the same as or similar to the sounds they
represent in Spanish (listed in previous slides).
 Use your knowledge of Spanish to interpret misspellings.
(Example: da might be written for the)
 If you’re not comfortable with Spanish, ask the child to
read what s/he has written and listen for letter-sound
correspondences.
Helman, 2004
Phonics for Spanish-Speaking ELLs
 A pronunciation error may reflect knowledge of Spanish.
Example: Saying seat for sit is common when the
child has some reading ability in Spanish. It might
also be an attempt to come as close as possible
using a Spanish vowel sound.
 Use low-stress activities to practice pronunciations.
Examples: choral reading, echo reading, sound
sorting of pictures, poetry, songs
Helman, 2004
Phonics for Spanish-Speaking ELLs
 Try using Venns and word walls to underscore
similarities and differences in letter-sound
correspondences. (See previous slides.)
 Developmental spelling inventories can provide useful
information about phonics skills (e.g., the one in
Words Their Way by Bear et al.).
 Short vowels should be taught before long vowels.
Helman, 2004
Phonics for Spanish-Speaking ELLs
 Conduct think-alouds comparing English and Spanish.
“Teachers may verbalize their thinking in a modeled writing
activity as they ponder which sounds they hear in a tricky
word. They may even model being confused and selfcorrecting based on a Spanish sound.” (p. 458)
Helman, 2004
Which instructional techniques are
consistent with theory and research?
The Output Hypothesis suggests that
teachers provide many opportunities for
ELLs to talk and write.
Doing so also provides a window on their
development of their English.
A central way for teachers to assess the
learning and understanding of their ELLs is to
give them myriad opportunities to write and talk
during lessons. When ELLs are silent during
extended periods of lesson times, it is not
possible to know if or how much they are
learning from lessons.
– Brock & Raphael, 2005, p. 51
Good instruction for ELLs builds on a
long tradition of nesting a reading
selection in before, during and after
activities.
Let’s examine which of the major
lesson formats seem most promising.
Before
During
After
Major Lesson Formats
 Directed Reading Activity (DRA)
 Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA)
 K-W-L
 Listen-Read-Discuss (L-R-D)
Before
During
After
DRA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
complete tasks
set by teacher
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
DRA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
complete tasks
set by teacher
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
DRA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
complete tasks
set by teacher
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
DRA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
complete tasks
set by teacher
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
5 Steps in a Classic DRA
1. Background (vocabulary, facts)
2. Focus (set specific purposes)
3. Reading
4. Discussion
5. Skills, Extension, Enrichment
5 Steps in a Classic DRA
1. Background (vocabulary, facts)
2. Focus (set specific purposes)
3. Reading
4. Discussion
5. Skills, Extension, Enrichment
Before
5 Steps in a Classic DRA
1. Background (vocabulary, facts)
2. Focus (set specific purposes)
3. Reading
4. Discussion
5. Skills, Extension, Enrichment
Before
During
5 Steps in a Classic DRA
1. Background (vocabulary, facts)
2. Focus (set specific purposes)
3. Reading
4. Discussion
5. Skills, Extension, Enrichment
Before
During
After
DR-TA
Before
During
After
DR-TA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
test their own
predictions
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
DR-TA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
test their own
predictions
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
DR-TA
Facts
Vocabulary
Text structure
Students read to
test their own
predictions
Discussion
Writing
Before
During
After
K-W-L
Before
During
After
K-W-L
Students
Students read to
Discussion
brainstorm
find out what
of what they
what they Know they Want to know have Learned
Before
During
After
K-W-L
Students
Students read to
Discussion
brainstorm
find out what
of what they
what they Know they Want to know have Learned
Before
During
After
K-W-L
Students
Students read to
Discussion
brainstorm
find out what
of what they
what they Know they Want to know have Learned
Before
During
After
L-R-D
Before
During
After
L-R-D
Teacher fully
Students read to
presents text
complete tasks
content
set by teacher
(Children might
listen to Spanish
version)
Before
During
Discussion
After
L-R-D
Teacher fully
Students read to
presents text
complete tasks
content
set by teacher
(Children might
listen to Spanish
version)
Before
During
Discussion
After
L-R-D
Teacher fully
Students read to
presents text
complete tasks
content
set by teacher
(Children might
listen to Spanish
version)
Before
During
Discussion
Writing
After
Which of these formats seem best
suited to the needs of ELLs?
DRA
DR-TA
K-W-L
L-R-D
Might the issue depend on the age
and English proficiency of the child?
Which of these general lesson
planning formats is used for
the selection?
How could teachers take that
format and increase scaffolding
and support for ELLs?
What additional materials are provided
In your core to support ELLs during
needs-based time?
Language Experience Approach (LEA)
 Teacher plans a group experience, such as a
field trip, demonstration, etc.
 Students afterward dictate a passage based on
the shared experience.
 Teacher writes as students dictate.
 Dictated passage becomes the basis of
discussion and a reading lesson.
 LEA controls for prior knowledge differences,
although unpredictable cultural interpretations
can occur.
– Drucker, 2003
Discussions in Small Groups
 ELLs are sometimes intimidated into
silence in whole-class settings.
 They are more likely to talk in small
groups.
 Schedule small-group discussions with
group make-up including both ELLs
and native speakers.
– Brock & Raphael,
2005
Shared Reading
 Teacher reads aloud
an enlarged text
that all students
can see.
 Students can see text
as it is discussed.
 Teacher can point
to key words, etc.
Paired Reading
 Teacher pairs ELLs with native speakers.
 Students read to each other, with native
speaker providing support.
 Could be tied to repeated readings, where
native speaker reads a brief passage
and ELL reads the same passage.
Building Prior Knowledge
 Teacher tries to anticipate limitations of
prior knowledge.
 What does the author assume the child
knows and that the child may not.
 Look for ways to build prior knowledge
quickly and coherently.
– Drucker, 2003
Audio Books
 Teacher provides a tape of the reading
selection, perhaps in a listening center.
 ELLs follow along as they listen.
 A minimal level of reading ability is
required for this approach to be
effective.
– Drucker, 2003
Teacher Read-Alouds
 Read-alouds can be planned with ELLs in mind.

5 steps used by Hickman et al.:
1. Preview story and 3 new words. Give
Spanish equivalents.
2. Read the book aloud. Focus on literal and
inferential comprehension.
3. Reread, focusing on the 3 words.
4. Extend comprehension, focusing on
deeper understanding of words.
5. Summarize the book.
– Hickman, Pollard-Durodola, & Vaughn, 2004
Multicultural Books
 These are likely to require less
background building.
 They build confidence and they value the
ELLs’ home culture.
 Such books make good read-alouds!
– Drucker, 2003
Selected Internet Resources
Internet TESL Journal
http://iteslj.org/
its-online
http://www.its-online.com/
English-to-Go
http://www.english-to-go.com/
Online Translator
http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/
worldlingo_translator.html
More Internet Resources
Barahona Center
http://www.csusm.edu/csb/
Reading Rockets
http://www.colorincolorado.org/
Georgia ESOL Program
http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_iap_esol.aspx
Office of English Language Acquisition
(OELA)
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oela/index.html?src=oc
National Clearinghouse for English
Language Acquisition (NCELA)
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/
Forming an
Action Plan
What can we do at the
district, school, and
classroom levels to meet
the needs of ELLs?
LEA
Schools
Teachers
LEA Representatives:
What resources are available
in your community to support
ELL children and families?
At the District Level
 Start (or improve) your record keeping system
 Stay updated on programs
 http://public.doe.k12.ga.us/ci_iap_esol.aspx
 Coordinate PD across schools that serve ELLs
 Lead efforts to attract bilingual teachers
 Explore transitional bilingual programs
 Establish active links with the Latino community
 Recommend that parents turn on captioning
Principals and coaches:
What resources are available
in your school to support ELL
children and families?
At the School Level
 Generally, foster cultural awareness
 Specifically, provide PD in culturally responsive teaching
 Acquire bilingual and multicultural books
 Hire bilingual teachers and paraprofessionals
 Host community-building activities for Latino parents
 Form teacher study groups
 Locate and disseminate professional resources
At the Classroom Level
 Seek the Georgia ESOL Endorsement
 http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/pandp/esol/certif.htm
 Learn to apply scientifically-based instructional approaches
 Form needs-based groups with English proficiency in mind
 Learn conversational Spanish
Who me? Learn Spanish?
Why not? It will not only
help you meet the needs
of ELLs, but it will deepen
your understanding of
English. As the greatest
writer in German once put
it . . .
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Those who know
nothing of foreign
languages know
nothing of their own.
Suggested Readings
Brock, C.H., & Raphael, T.E. (2005). Windows to language, literacy, and culture:
Insights from an English-language learner. Newark, DE: IRA.
Drucker, M.J. (2003). What reading teachers should know about ESL learners.
The Reading Teacher, 57, 22-29.
Echevarria, J., & Graves, A. (2003). Sheltered content instruction: Teaching
English-language learners with diverse abilities (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn
& Bacon.
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D.J. (2004). Making content comprehensible for
English learners: The SIOP model (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Helman, L.A. (2004). Building on the sound system of Spanish: Insights from the
alphabetic spellings of English-language learners. The Reading
Teacher, 57, 452-460.
Helman, L.A. (2005). Using assessment results to improve teaching for Englishlanguage learners. The Reading Teacher, 58, 668-677.
Hickman, P., Pollard-Durodola, S., & Vaughn, S. (2004). Storybook reading:
Improving vocabulary and comprehension for English-language
learners. The Reading Teacher, 57, 720-730.
Suggested Readings
Shanahan, T., & August, D. (Eds.). (2006). Developing literacy in Englishlanguage learners. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Tabors, P.O., & Snow, C.E. (2002). Young bilingual children and early literacy
development. In S.B. Neuman & D.K. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook of
early literacy research (Vol. 1, pp. 159-178). New York: Guilford.