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The topic of literacy is important for all students, but it has an even stronger importance when it comes to English Language Learners (ELL). Due to these students often having language barriers, it is important that we work to support them through all the components of literacy with strategies such as literature circles, sight word mastery, tiered instruction, and so much more. There is a direct relation between sight word mastery and students' oral language abilities. Literature circles allow students to work on reading and comprehension skills alongside their peers. Literature circles also help students develop content language alongside conversational language. All the components of literacy work together to help build a strong foundation to allow ELL students to be successful in all areas of learning.

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Why do we need supports for ELL students?

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Why do we need supports for ELL students?

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Here are two current event articles that explain why these types of resources are so important to have in your classroom:
1. https://www.edutopia.org/no-train-no-gain
2.https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/23/512451228/5-million-english-language-learners-a-vast-pool-of-talent-at-risk

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About 1 out of every 10 public school students in the United States right now is learning to speak English. They're called ELLs, for "English Language Learners."

There are nearly 5 million of them, and educating them - in English and all the other subjects and skills they'll need - is one of the biggest challenges in U.S. public education today.

As part of our reporting project, 5 Million Voices, we set out to gather up all the data and information we could find about who these students are and how they're being taught. Here's our snapshot:

The vast majority - some 3.8 million ELL students - speak Spanish. But there are lots of other languages too, including Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin), Arabic and Vietnamese.

Most ELLs were born in the United States, and are U.S. citizens.

The state with the most ELL students is California - which has 29 percent of all ELLs nationwide. Texas has 18 percent, followed by Florida with 5 percent and New York with 4 percent.

From 2000 to 2014, the growth of the ELL population was greatest in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Based on the most recent data available, NPR found that no matter where they go to school, most ELLs are struggling because they have little or no access to quality instruction tailored to their needs. Although 90 percent of these kids are enrolled in designated ELL programs, at least one recent study argues that the quality of these programs is suspect.

Funding for ELL programs comes almost entirely from local and state sources. That's because federal education funding on average represents about 11 percent of what local school districts spend overall.

Still, the U.S. Education Department does focus on how ELLs are treated. The department's Office of Civil Rights has singled out 121 school districts in which not a single student is even enrolled in an ELL program. Overall, as many as half a million do not receive any special instruction to learn English.
Identifying ELL students
Identifying and screening ELLs is tricky. In most states, school districts use the simplest and lowest-cost method: a take-home survey. An overview of how the screening differs state-to-state can be found here.

In districts with large ELL populations, schools typically test students to determine how much English they speak, read and write. This allows teachers to pinpoint their needs.

Take, for example, a 12-year-old who still can't read in English. Rather than placing that student into a first- or second-grade class with much younger kids who are learning to read, that 12-year old is placed with her peers in sixth or seventh grade, but is pulled out for intense English instruction.

Another option is transitional bilingual instruction. In this model, a teacher who is fluent in both English and the student's native language builds on that child's language for at least 2-3 years. The goal is having the student become fluent in both English while retaining a native language.

A third option is "dual-language immersion," which requires that a classroom be made up of both ELLs and native English speakers. In this approach, all subjects are taught in two languages during the school day. English speakers learn a second language and ELLs learn English. The demand for dual language immersion has grown significantly in recent years.
Achievement
As a whole, English language learners still lag behind in terms of academic achievement.

Most are not making the transition to English quickly enough. Many ELLs remain stuck in academically segregated programs where they fall behind in basic subjects.

Only 63 percent of ELLs graduate from high school, compared with the overall national rate of 82 percent.

In New York State, for example, the overall high school graduation rate is about 78 percent. But for ELLs, it's 37 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of those who do graduate, only 1.4 percent take college entrance exams like the SAT and ACT.
Teacher shortages
ELLs are often concentrated in low-performing schools with untrained or poorly trained teachers. The shortage of teachers who can work with this population is a big problem in a growing number of states.
Gifted ELLs
Only 2 percent of ELLs are enrolled in gifted programs, compared with 7.3 percent of gifted non-ELL students.

According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), a gifted ELL student is likely to know much of the curriculum content on the very first day of school. But NAGC researchers have found that most gifted ELLs are not on anybody's radar.

Researchers say that, even when ELL students are identified as gifted, the impulse is often to keep them out of accelerated programs despite evidence that they would benefit from more challenging work while they're learning English.

In his book, Failing Our Brightest Kids: The Global Challenge of Educating High-Ability Students, Chester E. Finn Jr. argues that school policies for identifying gifted ELLs are inadequate. Finn, a former assistant secretary of education, says schools need to train teachers to be more like talent scouts, so that they can spot gifted ELLs.

Otherwise, says Finn, "We're losing talented kids from immigrant families who don't know their way around the American system."

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English Language Learners: How Your State Is Doing

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The number of English language learners in public schools is nearing 5 million. Many are struggling academically, despite well-intentioned efforts to help them learn English.

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After reviewing the online resource, viewers will be able to:
1. Identify strategies to support English Language Learners.
2. Apply strategies to support English Language Learners in literacy.
3. Provide insight as to how English Language Learners can be supported by literacy across the curriculum.

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The Balanced Literacy Diet is a great resource for both parents and teachers. The following visual shows how each component works together. Oral language is just one component in creating balanced literacy for our students. Working to promote strong oral language for ELL students, alongside all of these different areas, will support their overall literacy abilities in the long run.

Reference:
Oral Language. BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Oral Language ELL :: Balanced Literacy Diet. (2021). https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Oral_Language_ELL.html.

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#2. I Learned How to Talk About a Book: Children's Perceptions of Literature Circles Across Grade and Ability Levels

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#2. I Learned How to Talk About a Book: Children's Perceptions of Literature Circles Across Grade and Ability Levels

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One common thread throughout this research is that literature circles are high engagement activities that allow all students to have a specific role to complete and bring to the conversation for group discussions. Through this, the students can stay focused and learn more throughout the process. Some students have even expressed that they loved learning how to talk about a book with their classmates and spoke about only getting to talk that much in lunch or gym class (Certo et al., 2010). The best way to keep students on a path of growth is to provide them with high engagement lessons and activities that allow discussion among peers which is exactly what literature circles aim to do. They also found that the students could see and understand when their peers were using comprehension strategies (Certo et al., 2010). These are all very helpful for English Language Learners in their growth in English.

Reference:
Certo, J., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K., & Miller, J. A. (2010). I learned how to talk about a book: Children’s perceptions of literature circles across grade and ability levels. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(3), 243–263.

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#3: Scaffolding Reading for English Learners

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#3: Scaffolding Reading for English Learners

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Scaffolding is one way we are able to aid ELL students in their reading abilities. The following visual can e used as a resource for both teachers and parents when working on reading skills. The way that we teach reading and literacy to ELL students should be with a scaffolded approach to make sure that these students are not becoming overwhelmed due to their language barriers. This tiered approach to reading and literacy can be used within any age group.

Reference:
Seidlitz Education. (2019, December 18). Teaching Techniques to Scaffold Reading for English Learners. Seidlitz Education. https://seidlitzblog.org/2019/12/18/teaching-techniques-to-scaffold-reading-for-english-learners/.

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#4. “Really,” “Not Possible,” “I Can’t Believe It”: Exploring Informational Text in Literature Circles

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#4. “Really,” “Not Possible,” “I Can’t Believe It”: Exploring Informational Text in Literature Circles

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Throughout this research, the students really enjoyed reading an informational text that they chose, and they were anxious to get reading. The students participated and even were fluid in the roles they had as some came up with questions or for words to discuss outside of their own role. Students wanted to hear the ideas of their group members and were actively engaged and interested throughout the process (Barone & Barone, 2016). They also developed their vocabulary as they read and discussed their books. In regards to ELL students, this research shows that literature circles could and would be beneficial is content teaching to help them discuss and understand important vocabulary words and topics to learn in their grade level.

Reference:
Barone, D., & Barone, R. (2016). “Really,” “Not Possible,” “I Can’t Believe It”: Exploring Informational Text in Literature Circles. Reading Teacher, 70(1), 69–81.

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#5. Strengthening the Reader Self-Efficacies of Reluctant and Struggling Readers Through Literature Circles

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#5. Strengthening the Reader Self-Efficacies of Reluctant and Struggling Readers Through Literature Circles

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The researcher found that the self-efficacies improved between the pre- and post-tests, but the higher readers did not grow much more than where they were in their self-efficacies (Venegas, 2018). Students became more confident in their reading abilities when literature circles were used. Some noted that the discussion helped them feel more confident. This is helpful knowledge for English Language Learner education because, in my experience, ELL students tend to lack self-efficacy and confidence to read because of their language needs. Literature circles can be very effective for ELL students in this way by helping build their self-efficacy.

Reference:
Venegas, E. M. (2018). Strengthening the reader self-efficacies of reluctant and struggling readers through literature circles. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 34(5), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2018.1483788

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#6. Bilingual Tales: Los Tres Cerditos (The Three Little Pigs) by Luz Orihuela 

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#6. Bilingual Tales: Los Tres Cerditos (The Three Little Pigs) by Luz Orihuela 

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This book is a familiar story for most children, but the difference is that it has Spanish and English on all pages. Using something like this is a literature circle could be very beneficial as the ELL students who may be of a Hispanic background would be excited to see their native language on the pages of a book they are reading in class, and they can see the words side by side as they are learning English vocabulary. This helps the ELL students make connections to their first language which helps reading comprehension grow in the second language acquisition. It would also be great for the students to all learn a little Spanish.

Reference:
Orihuela, L. (2006, February 16). Bilingual Tales: Los Tres Cerditos (The Three Little Pigs). Scholastic, Inc.

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#7: The Nuts and Bolts of Setting up Literature Circles

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#7: The Nuts and Bolts of Setting up Literature Circles

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You might be thinking that you love the idea of literature circles, but how do you set it up. This article from Edutopia discusses the steps you can take to start a successful literature circle: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/literature-circles-setting-up-getting-started-elena-aguilar

At the bottom of this Padlet, you will see examples that you can use of each Literature Circle Role Sheet.

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#8: What does oral language have to do with it? Helping young English-language learners acquire a sight word vocabulary

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#8: What does oral language have to do with it? Helping young English-language learners acquire a sight word vocabulary

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Sight words are a very important part of any student’s early literacy abilities, but they are extremely important to English Language Learners (ELLs). Students should be able to recall these words quickly with automaticity. This skill is important because students need to be able to automatically decode the words they are reading so they can put more mental effort towards comprehending what they are reading. Helman and Burns research focuses on the relationship between oral language proficiency and mastery of sight words. The results of the study show that there is a strong relationship between the two when it comes to ELLs.

Reference:
Helman, L. A., & Burns, M. K. (2008). What Does Oral Language Have to Do With It? Helping Young English-Language Learners Acquire a Sight Word Vocabulary. Reading Teacher, 62(1), 14-19. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.62.1.2

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Discussing literature is a very important part of reading comprehension and English Language Learner development. This lesson deals with different cultures which will help provide rich connection from the text to students' lives.

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Mini Lesson Plan 2_Whitlock and Sullivan

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Sequencing is a very important part of learning to write. Doing that while incorporating temporal words is extremely important to narrative writing. The following lesson is an introduction to narrative writing and sequencing to prepare students for telling their own story.

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1. This article will help parents understand the importance of reading to develop literacy skills even at home. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/nurturing-readers-resources-tools-matt-davis
2. This site will give parents resources to guide them in helping their students with various literacy topics.
https://www.colorincolorado.org/families
3. This site will give parents insight on the importance of involvement with their student and what they can do with them at home. .
https://study.com/academy/lesson/tips-for-parents-of-english-language-learners.html
4. This site provides webinars in resources for parents of ELL students in both English and Spanish, as well as many other resources.
https://www.u-46.org/Page/8965
5. This website assists families from in New York as well as around the country by giving helpful ways to support ELL students. http://www.nysed.gov/bilingual-ed/helpful-links-english-language-learner-and-multilingual-learner-parents-guardians-and
6. This website focuses on getting parents information and resources for a multitude of things, but this link can help parents know their rights and how to help their ELL students as well as a Spanish to English dictionary link.
https://www.parentcenterhub.org/category/topics/ell/

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This role sheet is designed to get the student to think of open-ended questions from the reading that will get their peers thinking in-depth and discussing the answer.

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This role sheet is where students find words that confuse them or surprised them and what they think it means as well as what they think the author meant.

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This job has the student make connections between the text and their life. the world, or other texts.

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WIDA stands for World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. WIDA outlines what standards ELL students should be meeting as defined by where they fall after taking the Alternate ACCESS test.

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This role has a student illustrate a few scenes or make a diagram of their choosing to connect to the text and explain their choices.

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This role has the students engaging in story elements as they name the characters, the settings, and the plot throughout the story.

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This job engages the student in finding a sentence or passage from the text to quote and create a question about it to ask the group that is open-ended.

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Certo, J., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K., & Miller, J. A. (2010). I learned how to talk about a book: Children’s perceptions of literature circles across grade and ability levels. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(3), 243–263.

Barone, D., & Barone, R. (2016). “Really,” “Not Possible,” “I Can’t Believe It”: Exploring Informational Text in Literature Circles. Reading Teacher, 70(1), 69–81.

Helman, L. A., & Burns, M. K. (2008). What Does Oral Language Have to Do With It? Helping Young English-Language Learners Acquire a Sight Word Vocabulary. Reading Teacher, 62(1), 14-19. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.62.1.2

Oral Language. BALANCEDLITERACYDIET :: Oral Language ELL :: Balanced Literacy Diet. (2021). https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Oral_Language_ELL.html.

Orihuela, L. (2006, February 16). Bilingual Tales: Los Tres Cerditos (The Three Little Pigs). Scholastic, Inc.

Seidlitz Education. (2019, December 18). Teaching Techniques to Scaffold Reading for English Learners. Seidlitz Education. https://seidlitzblog.org/2019/12/18/teaching-techniques-to-scaffold-reading-for-english-learners/.

Venegas, E. M. (2018). Strengthening the reader self-efficacies of reluctant and struggling readers through literature circles. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 34(5), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2018.1483788