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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