Supporting English Language Learners in reading and Writing:
Some Research-based Stragegies
Introduction: There has been an overwhelming amount of research about how we can better support English Language Learners both in the classroom and out. Because of the exhaustive nature of this research, this resource will focus on reading and writing skills specifically (although many of these skills are directly linked to analytical and conversational skills). Fortunately, although this research is diverse, there are many common threads. I’ll discuss some of these commonalities, as well as some specific strategies you (parents) can use at home with your child.
What the research tells us:
There are a great many ways learn to read, write, and process information. When looking at supporting ELL learners, most successful strategies to promote reading and writing skills generally fall into these categories:
What the research tells us:
There are a great many ways learn to read, write, and process information. When looking at supporting ELL learners, most successful strategies to promote reading and writing skills generally fall into these categories:
- Planning and Goal Setting: Students create and set goals, establish purpose, and set priorities.
- Linking to and Using Prior Knowledge: Students mobilize what they already know to help them process what they will learn.
- Asking Questions and Predicting: Students help find the focus (theme) of a text through asking questions and/or predicting what will happen next.
- Getting the “Gist” of the text: Students visualize, make connections, identify main ideas, and organize information.
- Revising Meaning: Students backtrack based on validating previous interpretations or predictions, and dig deeper into textual themes.
- Reflecting: Students step back and take stock of the textual themes, rethinking what they know and formulating textual meaning for personal use.
- Evaluating: Students review, question, critique, and evaluate the text after reading.
What you can do to help at home:
Strategies: Don't be overwhelmed by the list above - you don't have to be a teacher to help young learners grow as readers, writers, and thinkers. Here are some specifics you can do at home to help:
Teach students to make predictions consciously before reading. Because students need to recall what type of text they are looking at, predictions serve as a useful tool for readers of all ages to engage with a text. Predictions are also very useful after reading the text because they provide a great opportunity for reflection.
Vocabulary development - you can help! Because we know that vocabulary development is the key to understanding and engagement, lets focus here together. Know your child’s vocabulary words - they will bring them home from school, or you can read a text with your child and pick out the key concept-linked vocabulary. Use those words frequently with your child, and engage in questioning that promotes the use of those words.
Help young learners track their understanding: Teaching young people to track their understanding and ask questions about the text during the reading process. This allows students to recognize when and where (and sometimes why) their comprehension breaks down during the reading of a text.
Post-reading summarization is also a very useful tool when reading. When you read with your child, or they read alone at home, make sure they are able to distinguish the important pieces of the text through summarization after they have finished reading the text.
Help learning build vocabulary and increase their exposure to print. The more reading, the better! Use some of these strategies to help build and use vocabulary:
Structured academic conversations also help English Language Learners.
Teach students to make predictions consciously before reading. Because students need to recall what type of text they are looking at, predictions serve as a useful tool for readers of all ages to engage with a text. Predictions are also very useful after reading the text because they provide a great opportunity for reflection.
Vocabulary development - you can help! Because we know that vocabulary development is the key to understanding and engagement, lets focus here together. Know your child’s vocabulary words - they will bring them home from school, or you can read a text with your child and pick out the key concept-linked vocabulary. Use those words frequently with your child, and engage in questioning that promotes the use of those words.
Help young learners track their understanding: Teaching young people to track their understanding and ask questions about the text during the reading process. This allows students to recognize when and where (and sometimes why) their comprehension breaks down during the reading of a text.
Post-reading summarization is also a very useful tool when reading. When you read with your child, or they read alone at home, make sure they are able to distinguish the important pieces of the text through summarization after they have finished reading the text.
Help learning build vocabulary and increase their exposure to print. The more reading, the better! Use some of these strategies to help build and use vocabulary:
- Encourage them to read out loud
- Correct mistakes when you hear them
- Engage in discussion and questioning around the text using key concepts and vocabulary from the text.
- Increased exposure to print. This can help overall reading ability, regardless of the language.
Structured academic conversations also help English Language Learners.
- Read the text yourself so that you can have conversations around key concepts and vocabulary once your child has read the text. This both help you use these effective teaching techniques and increase the interaction with key concepts and vocabulary. You don’t have to be a teacher to do this, just be conscious of key points and useful vocabulary linked to these key points and start asking!
Works Cited:
Download works cited page here.