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Teaching Reading to English Language Learners
There is an increasing amount of English language learners
represented in our schools for whom a unique approach to
developing literacy is necessary. The development of literacy by
English language learners (ELLs) includes all of the challenges
implicit for English speaking children literacy attainments, and
is additionally compounded by a diversity of linguistic,
cognitive and academic variables.
In general, the following are critical variables that need to
be targeted in effective reading instruction:
Phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading
fluency, including oral reading skills, and reading comprehension
strategies. The National Research Council's Committee on the
Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children recently
completed the most authoritative, comprehensive review of the
research on normal reading development and instruction and on
preventing reading difficulties in young children1. This study
documented a number of important findings about teaching English
reading to language-minority children. These include:
- English-speaking children making initial attempts at reading
understand, if they are successful, the products of their
efforts; they read words they know and sentences they understand,
and?can self-correct efficiently. Non-English speakers have a
more limited basis for knowing whether their reading is correct
because the crucial meaning-making process is short circuited by
lack of language knowledge.
- Giving a child initial reading instruction in a language
that he or she does not yet speak can undermine the child's
chance to see literacy as a powerful form of communication by
knocking the support of meaning out from underneath the process
of learning.
- Initial reading instruction in the first language does no
harm. To the contrary, it seems likely both from research
findings and from theories about literacy development that
initial reading instruction in the second language can have
negative consequences for immediate and long-term achievement.
Primary language and reading literacy is critical and should be
strongly encouraged.
It was highly recommended that "initial literacy instruction
in a child's native language whenever possible" and suggested
that "literacy instruction should not be introduced in any
language before some reasonable level of oral proficiency in that
language has been attained."
On the question of which language to use when teaching English
language learners to read, the committee recommended the
following guidelines:
- If language minority children arrive at school with no
proficiency in English but speaking a language for which there
are instructional guides, learning materials, and locally
available proficient teachers, then these children should be
taught how to read in their native language while acquiring
proficiency in spoken English, and then subsequently taught to
extend their skills to reading in English.
- If these second language children arrive at school with no
proficiency in English but speak a language for which the above
conditions cannot be met and for which there are insufficient
numbers of children to justify the development of the local
community to meet such conditions, the instructional priority
should be to develop the children's proficiency in spoken
English. Although print materials may be used to develop
understanding of English speech sounds, vocabulary, and syntax,
the postponement of formal reading instruction is appropriate
until an adequate level of proficiency in spoken English has been
achieved. In other words, the instructional priority need to be
to develop spoken oral English prior to attempting to facilitate
reading in English.
This author has used this approach with many second language
children and has developed effective methods to facilitate
literacy in English language learners based on these
recommendations which have been associated with high levels of
efficacy.
Deborah Jill Chitester received her Masters of Science in
Speech-Language Pathology from Adelphi University in New York and
was granted her Certificate of Clinical Competence (C.C.C) by the
American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA). She has 10+ years
experience working with all age levels both mono-lingual and
Spanish speaking, having received special certification by the
State of New York as a Bilingual (English/Spanish)
Speech-Language Pathologist. Deborah has worked with all age
levels and all disabilities. She began her practice in New York,
where she worked with both private patients as well as with the
major school systems and corporations.
In her practice, Second Language, Literacy and Learning
Conection LLC she treats both monolingual and Spanish speaking
clients of all ages and disabilities and utilizes some of the
latest computer based treatment especially designed to promote
optimal language development. Her expertise in second language
learning is extensive and as such, she is currently publishing a
resource guide to be used by educators in "connecting" with
ELLs.
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