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Dr Elsa Cardenas-Hagan - What Do We Need to Do to Support Our Multilingual Learners?

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English learners benefit from the same explicit instruction of literacy skills, including phonics, as native English speakers, keeping in mind the special considerations of English learners regarding oral language proficiency, vocabulary and background knowledge, and attention to addressing new sounds (phonemes) of English. A structured literacy approach to teach phonics should be used: explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic.

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Phonics Instruction for English Learners - Keys to Literacy

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This post focuses on instruction of phonics for English learners. English learners benefit from the same explicit instruction of literacy skills, including phonics, as native English speakers, keeping in mind the special considerations of English learners regarding oral language proficiency, vocabulary and background knowledge, and attention to addressing new sounds (phonemes) of English. A structured literacy approach to teach phonics should be used: explicit, systematic, cumulative, and diagnostic.

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Guiding Principles

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166K views · 5.6K reactions | Letter sounds and movements facing front per requests!!! Also made a YouTube and added it on there! Link in bio! #letterknowledge #lettersounds #youtube #educational #sor #scienceofreadinginstruction #scienceofreading #learntoread #phonics #kindergarten #homeschool #studentteacher | Lisa Elaine | Lisa Elaine · Original audio

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Letter sounds and movements facing front per requests!!! Also made a YouTube and added it on there! Link in bio! #letterknowledge #lettersounds #youtube #educational #sor...

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Many schools across the country use a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to target instruction and interventions based on students' needs. The MTSS model can be particularly powerful in determining what kinds of supports are most appropriate for English language learners.

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English language learners are a diverse group of students, with different language, academic, and social-emotional needs.

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English language learners are a diverse group of students, with different language, academic, and social-emotional needs. Students who speak the same language or have similar levels of language proficiency may need very different kinds of support to succeed in the classroom.

Learn more about the growing ELL population around the country from these materials, as well as some of the special populations that have unique needs.

What You'll Find in This Section

The first year of working with ELLs can be full of challenges. Fortunately, there are a number of resources to help! Colorín Colorado has compiled this list to help new ELL teachers navigate their experiences in the classroom. These resources may also be helpful for veteran teachers who are new to teaching ELLs.

The following pages contain links to statewide agencies, resources, and organizations focused on English language learners (ELLs).

These resources outline what schools need to know about serving students who are immigrants or children of immigrants. Topics include students' legal rights, social-emotional support, and how immigration policies impact families and schools.

Learn more about how schools and families can collaborate to ensure that ELLs, including those with special needs, have the appropriate support and services to meet their unique needs.

Resource Library

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English language learners are a diverse group of students, with different language, academic, and social-emotional needs. Students who speak the same language or have similar levels of language proficiency may need very different kinds of support to succeed in the classroom.

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The percentage of public school students in the United States² who were ELs increased overall between fall 2011 (9.4 percent, or 4.6 million students) and fall 2021 (10.6 percent, or 5.3 million students). However, this upward trend was disrupted between fall 2019 and fall 2020—during the first school year of the coronavirus pandemic—when EL enrollment fell from 5.1 million to 5.0 million students (although the percentage of public school students who were ELs rounded to 10.1 percent in both years).³

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In fall 2021, ELs represented 10.0 percent or more of public school students in 13 states-more than half of which were located in the West-and in the District of Columbia. These states were Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. The states with the highest percentages of ELs were

Texas (20.2 percent);

California (18.9 percent); and

New Mexico (18.8 percent).

An additional 18 states identified at least 6.0 but less than 10.0 percent of their students as ELs, and 14 states identified at least 3.0 but less than 6.0 percent of their students as ELs. The percentage of students who were ELs was less than 3.0 percent in 5 states:

New Hampshire (2.8 percent)

Wyoming (2.7 percent)

Montana (2.4 percent)

Vermont (2.0 percent)

West Virginia (0.8 percent)

[State/jurisdiction]

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COE - English Learners in Public Schools

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Presents text and figures that describe statistical findings on an education-related topic.

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In Chapter 7 of Elsa Cardenas-Hagan’s book Literacy Foundations for English Learners, Sharolyn Pollard-Durodola explains that overall, teachers should intentionally structure the classroom learning environment for frequent explicit and varied vocabulary building throughout the school day so that learning new words in a second language is not left to chance.

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Together with my colleagues at Keys to Literacy, I have recently updated the content in our Key Vocabulary Routine professional development course, including information related to vocabulary instruction for English language learners (ELLs). Vocabulary development plays a fundamental role in language learning and overall academic success. ELLs face unique challenges in acquiring English vocabulary due to limited exposure and differing linguistic backgrounds. This quote from Michael Graves sums up an important message for teachers of all grades and subjects:

"While most of the assistance we provide for ELLs will not be different in kind from that we provide for English only students, many ELLs will need to be taught more words, will need more powerful instruction, and will need to be given particular help in mastering word-learning strategies. This is also true of other students who enter school with small vocabularies." (2016, p. 41)

Claude Goldenberg, an expert in the field of bilingual education, makes this point:

" In an English immersion classroom, where most ELLs are, the main challenge is that English learners are supposed to learn academic content that everyone is supposed to learn, while they are also learning the language the content is taught in. It's a double-barreled challenge that English learners and their teachers face."

Effective vocabulary instruction for ELLs involves a combination of explicit teaching, context-rich learning experiences, and strategies that promote active engagement and meaningful practice. Graves makes these suggestions for effective ELLs vocabulary instruction:

The development of strong language skills in students' first language is a cornerstone for building English.

ELLs often need substantial repetition and reinforcement, and more frequent exposures during school.

ELLs benefit from differentiated instruction and scaffolding to allow them to carry out tasks beyond their independent abilities.

ELLs benefit from learning and guided practice for use of context and word parts to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

In Chapter 7 of Elsa Cardenas-Hagan's book Literacy Foundations for English Learners, Sharolyn Pollard-Durodola explains that overall, teachers should intentionally structure the classroom learning environment for frequent explicit and varied vocabulary building throughout the school day so that learning new words in a second language is not left to chance. These frequent opportunities encourage ELLs to be immersed in listening, speaking, reading, and writing new words during content-enriched instruction. Informal opportunities to use new words do not provide sufficient robust exposures to new vocabulary that can only take place through intentional planning that emphasizes deciding which words to teach and which word-building strategy is most appropriate. Click here to watch a video of Elsa Cardenas-Hagan reviewing Chapter 7 from her book for a book study sponsored by PaTTAN in 2021.
Teaching Vocabulary to ELLs in Context
Pollard-Durodola notes that decontextualized vocabulary instruction where students memorize word lists, terms, and their meanings in isolation are not as effective for ELLs as instruction that connects to students' background knowledge and exposure to words in context. ELLs require rich and deep word processing opportunities because they may lack English word depth even for words that are frequently encountered in the second language. Content-enriched vocabulary practices focus on explicit exposure to content-related words that are important for students to be able to independently read and comprehend academic texts. Content-based instruction, where vocabulary is integrated into the teaching of academic subjects, has been found effective (Graves, 2012). This approach ensures that ELLs not only acquire English vocabulary but also develop the necessary content knowledge to succeed academically.

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at the University of Texas at Austin (2018) recommends the following about vocabulary instruction in its guide 10 Key Policies and Practices for Teaching English Language Learners based on findings from high-quality research:

Teachers provide intentional, explicit, and extended vocabulary instruction that supports content learning: "The volume and complexity of vocabulary associated with academic instruction increases exponentially through the grades, making learning especially difficult for ELLs, who often find the vocabulary load to be overwhelming... But exposure to words alone is insufficient; students need to use words within and across subjects. Explicit instruction of key words anchored to text can accelerate students' acquisition of vocabulary, especially when students have extended opportunities to use words in meaningful contexts. For ELLs to understand words at more than a surface level, instruction must be extended over time with opportunities to hear, speak, and write words across varied contexts." (p. 7)

The guide goes on to suggest these explicit vocabulary instruction steps:

1. State the word and give a comprehensible definition that uses language your ELLs will understand.

2. Give two or more examples, briefly explaining why they are examples of the target word.

3. Give two or more non-examples, briefly explaining why they are not examples of the target word.

4. Discuss, pulling in students' background knowledge of the word.

5. Check for understanding with questions and prompts.

6. Have students use target words in speaking and writing.

7. Use systematic review to provide opportunities over time for students to read, write, hear, and say the target words.

8. Use "intentional noticing" to discuss target words and how they are used as you encounter the words across contexts.

Principles of Instructional Design to Teach Vocabulary to English Leaners
Circling back to the Cardenas-Hagan book, Chapter 7 offers these three recommendations:

1. Build vocabulary knowledge by combining new information with what the learner already knows to produce higher cognitive learning.

2. Integrate multiple opportunities for using new vocabulary to make connections to concepts and lived experiences.

3. Integrate intentional opportunities for adult-student language interaction around new vocabulary during content learning.

Additional Learning Suggestions
Technology-enhanced instruction also offers promising avenues for teaching vocabulary to ELLs. Digital tools and applications can provide interactive and engaging experiences that cater to individual learner needs. Computer-assisted programs, online resources, and mobile applications offer opportunities for independent practice, self-assessment, and personalized learning experiences.

Finally, educators should keep in mind cultural sensitivity and respect for ELLs' linguistic backgrounds. Incorporating students' native languages, encouraging cross-linguistic connections (such as pointing out English words that share cognates with ELLs' first language), and recognizing the value of bilingualism can enhance vocabulary instruction and promote a positive learning environment.
Additional Resources References

Goldenberg, C. ) Q&A: Claude Goldenberg on learning English in today's multiethnic classrooms. Stanford University Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from: https://ed.stanford.edu/spotlight/qa-stanford-researcher-learning-english-todays-multiethnic-classrooms

Graves, M.F. (2016). The vocabulary book: Learning and instruction, 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Graves, M.F., August, D., & Mancilla-Martinez, J. (2012). Teaching vocabulary to English language learners. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (2018). 10 key policies and practices for teaching English language learners. The University of Texas at Austin.

Pollard-Durodola, S.D. (2020). Vocabulary instruction among English learners. In E. Cardenas-Hagan (Ed.). Literacy foundations for English learners. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Joan Sedita

Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs. She is an experienced educator, nationally recognized speaker and teacher trainer. She has worked for over 35 years in the literacy education field and has presented to thousands of teachers and related professionals at schools, colleges, clinics, and professional conferences.

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Vocabulary Instruction for English Language Learners - Keys to Literacy

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Together with my colleagues at Keys to Literacy, I have recently updated the content in our Key Vocabulary Routine professional development course, including information related to vocabulary instruction for English language learners (ELLs).

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Languages spoken (at home) other than English in the United States by number of speakers in 2022

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Languages spoken (at home) other than English in the United States by number of speakers in 2022

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In 2022, around 42.03 million people in the United States spoke Spanish at home. In comparison, approximately 974,829 people were speaking Russian at home during the same year.

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In 2022, around 42.03 million people in the United States spoke Spanish at home. In comparison, approximately 974,829 people were speaking Russian at home during the same year.

The distribution of the U.S. population by ethnicity can be accessed here.

A ranking of the most spoken languages across the world can be accessed here.

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Languages spoken in the United States 2022 | Statista

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In 2022, around 42.03 million people in the United States spoke Spanish at home.

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Literacy Skills Instruction

for English Learners

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The Stages of Language Acquisition for ELLs

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The Stages of Language Acquisition for ELLs

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Language acquisition is a key educational goal of any English language learner (ELL). In order to ensure ELLs are on track, it’s crucial that teachers understand the stages of language acquisition for ELLs and how they differ from the stages of first language acquisition.Depending on their native language proficiency, ELLs may have already built a foundation for language learning, whereas first-language learners have not. This means ELLs will likely pick up speech, reading, and writing faster if they are already competent at these skills in their native language. Research has shown that strong first language skills have a positive impact on second language acquisition.

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Language Acquistion Chart Winter 2017 Final

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Linguists have identified five basic components (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics) found across languages.

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Language

Language is a rule-governed behavior. It is defined as the comprehension and/or use of a spoken (i.e., listening and speaking), written (i.e., reading and writing), and/or other communication symbol system (e.g., American Sign Language).

Spoken and written language are composed of receptive (i.e., listening and reading) and expressive (i.e., speaking and writing) components.

Spoken language, written language, and their associated components (i.e., receptive and expressive) are each a synergistic system comprised of individual language domains (i.e., phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) that form a dynamic integrative whole (Berko Gleason, 2005).

Descriptions of the five language domains follow:

Phonology-study of the speech sound (i.e., phoneme) system of a language, including the rules for combining and using phonemes.

Morphology-study of the rules that govern how morphemes, the minimal meaningful units of language, are used in a language.

Syntax-the rules that pertain to the ways in which words can be combined to form sentences in a language.

Semantics-the meaning of words and combinations of words in a language.

Pragmatics-the rules associated with the use of language in conversation and broader social situations.

The five basic language domains are part of a continuum which spans to higher order language skills, such as discourse, which is impacted by skills in the pragmatics domain.

Higher order language skills include inferencing; comprehension monitoring; interpretation of complex language, such as jokes and puns; and use of text structure knowledge. Metalinguistic awareness is requisite for the development of higher order language skills and is defined as "the ability to think about and reflect upon language" (Gillon, 2004, p. 10). Metalinguistic awareness includes phonological awareness, morphological awareness, syntactic awareness, semantic awareness, and pragmatic awareness. Metalinguistic skills are also critical for self-regulation and self-monitoring.

Spoken Language

Written Language

Pragmatics

(includes discourse)

understanding of the social aspects of spoken language, including conversational exchanges

social use of spoken language, including production of cohesive and relevant messages during conversations

understanding point-of-view, needs of the audience, etc.

conveying point-of-view, intended message, etc.

See ASHA's resource titled Developmental Norms for Speech and Language for more information.

Language Acquisition and Use

Language learning and use are determined by the interaction of biological, cognitive, psychosocial, and environmental factors. Language evolves within specific historical, social, and cultural contexts. Communication difference/dialect is a variation of a linguistic symbol system used by a group of individuals that reflects and is determined by shared regional, social, or cultural/ethnic factors (ASHA, 1993).

Effective use of language for communication requires an understanding of human interaction, including nonverbal cues, motivation, and sociocultural roles.

Relationship Between Spoken Language and Written Language

Phonological awareness underlies the ability to manipulate speech sounds (i.e., phonemes) in spoken words. It has been found to contribute notably to reading and writing development (Al Otaiba, Puranik, Zilkowski, & Curran, 2009; Lemons & Fuchs, 2010; Scarborough, 1998). Components of phonological awareness include syllable awareness (e.g., one syllable in "c ap" vs. two syllables in " ag ain"), onset-rime awareness (e.g., onset: cap vs. rime: c ap), and phoneme awareness (e.g., "cap" contains three phonemes: /k/ + /æ/ + /p/)

When instruction in phonological awareness is paired with knowledge of letter names (i.e., graphemic awareness), then phonics, a core written language skill for reading and writing development, is being addressed.

See ASHA's Practice Portal pages on Spoken Language Disorders and Written Language Disorders for more information.

Language Disorder

A language disorder is an impairment in comprehension and/or use of a spoken, written, and/or other communication symbol system (e.g., American Sign Language). The disorder may involve the form of language (phonology, morphology, syntax), the content of language (semantics), and/or the function of language in communication (pragmatics) in any combination (ASHA, 1993). In some cases, augmentative/alternative communication may be required for individuals demonstrating impairments in gestural, spoken, and/or written modalities. (ASHA, 1993).

Language disorders may persist across the lifespan, and symptoms may change over time (Bashir, 1989). Further, a language disorder can be a distinct diagnosis or may occur within the context of other conditions.

A regional, social, or cultural/ethnic variation of a symbol system should not be considered a disorder of speech or language (ASHA, 1993).

Relationship Between a Language Disorder and Social Communication Disorder

Children with language disorders may also present with social communication difficulty since social communication comprises social interaction, social cognition, pragmatics, and language processing. More information about social communication can be found on ASHA's Social Communication Disorder Practice Portal site.

References

Al Otaiba, S., Puranik, C., Zilkowski, R., & Curran, T. (2009). Effectiveness of early phonological awareness interventions for students with speech or language impairments. Journal of Special Education, 43(2), 107-128.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1993). Definitions of communication disorders and variations [Relevant Paper]. www.asha.org/policy/.

Bashir, A. S. (1989). Language intervention and the curriculum. Seminars in Speech and Language, 10(3), 181-191.

Berko Gleason, J. (2005). The development of language (6th ed.). Pearson Education.

Gillon, G. T. (2004). Phonological awareness: From research to practice. Guilford Press.

Lemons, C.J., & Fuchs, D. (2010). Phonological awareness of children with Down syndrome: Its role in learning to read and the effectiveness of related interventions. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 31(2), 316-330.

Scarborough, H. S. (1998.). Early identification of children at risk for reading disabilities: Phonological awareness and some other promising predictors. In B. K. Shapiro, P. J. Accardo, & A. J. Capute (Eds.). Specific reading disability: A view of the spectrum (pp. 75-119). York Press.

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Language is a rule-governed behavior. It is defined as the comprehension and/or use of a spoken (i.e., listening and speaking), written (i.e., reading and writing), and/or other communication symbol system (e.g., American Sign Language).

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Our brains are naturally set up to learn to speak, but learning to read does not happen on its own. Scientists have found that we must develop certain parts of our brains and build connections between brain areas that were not connected before.

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Children learn to understand spoken language before learning to read and write. Children who don't develop oral language skills often struggle to learn reading and writing later in life. Here are some language milestones.

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Language Milestones 3 months 1.5-2 yrs old 2.5-3.5 yrs old 3.5-6 yrs old 6-7 yrs old

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The Science of Reading refers to a body of y 50+ years of interdisciplinary research that documents and describes how children develop reading and writing skills.

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As more states and districts are embracing the "science of reading," some educators and advocates have raised the question: Will these methods work for English-language learners?

The "science of reading" has become shorthand in some literacy circles for approaches to early reading instruction that emphasize explicit, systematic teaching.

Some researchers and ELL experts say that's a problem. The National Committee for Effective Literacy, a new advocacy organization formed this year, has argued that states that have taken up these initiatives have narrowed literacy instruction to "a few foundational reading skills" that fail to meet the needs of English learners.

The group's aim, said Martha Hernandez, an NCEL member and the executive director of Californians Together, is to "ensure that the research and policies and practices that address English learner and emergent bilinguals were spotlighted, and are part of the national literacy conversation."

Other early literacy researchers, though, have said that NCEL is misrepresenting some of the changes that states and districts are making to their reading teaching methods-and that a lot of the strategies that work for native English speakers can be effective for English learners, too.

So what are these areas of overlap, and where do English learners need something different?

What do school systems mean when they say the "science of reading"?

States that have recently passed laws aiming to improve reading instruction have mandated that teachers be trained in delivering this kind of foundational skills instruction, or that schools use materials and assessments that support it.

Systematic, explicit instruction in letters and sounds is crucial for beginning readers, especially those with dyslexia or phonological processing problems, said Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, a bilingual speech-language pathologist and an associate research professor at the University of Houston.

Still, she said, "phonology and phonics are one piece of the puzzle. It's not everything that literacy is about."

Teachers need to help students develop a host of early literacy skills, like their ability to express themselves through spoken language, their ability to understand what others are saying to them, and their vocabulary, Cárdenas-Hagan said. Students should have opportunities for practice that integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing, she added.

While these new state laws mandate certain approaches to foundational skills instruction, they direct schools to prioritize other reading skills, too. Many cite the five components of reading studied in the National Reading Panel in 2000-instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension.

Even so, critics of these laws worry that a more comprehensive focus will be lost in their implementation, and that school systems will be incentivized to double down on foundational skills instruction at the expense of all else.

"When it hits the classroom, when it hits district administration, that's what they look for, that's what they assess," said Laurie Olsen, an NCEL member and the board president of Californians Together.

Still, he said, new state laws often don't specify how much time to spend on different reading skills or how to teach them-nor should they, Goldenberg said: "You can't expect legislation to be curriculum guides." That means, though, that these laws' success or failure lies in implementation, he said.

Does this research apply to English-language learners, too?

In 2002, the U.S. Department of Education convened the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth, tasking it with reviewing the research on best practices for literacy development among ELLs.

The panel's report, published in 2006, found that a lot of what works for kids whose first language is English is also effective for kids who speak a different language at home. Instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension-the five components of reading studied in the National Reading Panel a few years earlier-all had "clear benefits" for ELLs.

But the literature also showed that instruction was most effective when it was tailored to ELLs' specific needs and unique founts of knowledge. And crucially, kids learning English needed more instruction in oral English proficiency than their peers: things like vocabulary knowledge, listening comprehension, and syntax.

The panel found that schools weren't supporting students enough in these areas, and more recent research finds that schools still aren't doing enough to help ELLs develop academic language in English.

With these students, teachers need to discuss the meaning of words constantly-even shorter, simpler words that teachers might not treat as vocabulary words with native English speakers, said Cárdenas-Hagan. In working with students who are learning how to speak a new language, teachers need to be purposeful about developing vocabulary and oral language skills in every lesson.

In part, this is so that students can understand that the words they're sounding out have meaning, said Kathy Escamilla, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder and an NCEL member. She gave the example of a 1st grade class, where a teacher might ask students to clap out how many sounds are in the word "sofa."

Native English speakers would know that word, but other students might not. If the teacher doesn't help English learners understand the meaning, then it's harder for students to make the connection that these sounds represent word parts, Escamilla said.

And there are other reasons why English learners might need teachers to pay more attention to vocabulary instruction. A word like "run," for example, has multiple meanings in English: You can run a race, but you can also run your finger down a list, or run a computer program. Discussing those multiple meanings as students encounter these words in phonics lessons is a key part of vocabulary instruction for English learners, Cárdenas-Hagan said.

Teachers need to build students' oral vocabulary beyond these words, too, so that they're prepared for the more challenging texts they'll encounter after the earliest grades, said Goldenberg. This is important for all students, but especially so for English learners.

"If the only English-language development that kids are getting in K, 1, 2 are the words they're learning to read, that is an impoverished ELD curriculum," he said.

Research on interventions for Spanish-speaking students who are at risk of reading difficulties has found that successful approaches combine both instruction in the five components of reading identified in the National Reading Panel report, and additional support in developing spoken language skills in English from trained bilingual intervention teachers.

What if students are in bilingual programs and learning to read in two languages?

English learners aren't blank slates. They come into schools with language-and often literacy-skills from the language they speak at home. These skills can support them in developing proficiency in English.

The number of dual-language programs in the United States is growing, but there's still a shortage of certified bilingual teachers-and, as Education Week has reported, English learners often face competition for spots in these programs from affluent, native English-speaking parents who are increasingly seeking out bilingual education for their children.

In its position paper, NCEL outlined best practices for English learners in dual-language programs. Good teaching in a bilingual setting isn't just "repeating the same thing in two languages," they write.

It requires "coordinated and aligned" literacy teaching, with a scope and sequence that makes sense in each language. Students should have access to high-quality materials and assessments in both languages, as well as opportunities to write, have conversations, and deliver presentations in both.

And importantly, they write, dual language programs should celebrate diversity, "including learning about the benefits of bilingualism and explicit efforts to equalize the status of 'minoritized' languages."

But Escamilla says the two goals aren't mutually exclusive. "While it is true that most of the kids who are labeled as English learners are in English programs, that does not mean that we shouldn't advocate or push for the development of bilingual programs."

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The 'Science of Reading' and English-Language Learners: What the Research Says

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As more states embrace certain evidence-based methods, advocates question: Will they work for English learners?

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77K views · 2K reactions | Letter sounds with movements explained! Part 1! #scienceofreadinginstruction #scienceofreading #sor #teachingontiktok #teachingideas #lettersounds #addingmovement #segmentingsounds #reading #heggertyphonics #heggertyphonemicawareness #teacheractivities #kindergarten #kinderclassroom #firstgrade #secondgrade #studentlearning #futureteacher #smallgroup #smallgroupinstruction #homeschool #homeschooling #readingactivities #learntoread #tactilelearning | Lisa Elaine | Lisa Elaine · Original audio

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5.4K views · 196 reactions | Letter sounds with movements explained! Part 1! #scienceofreadinginstruction #scienceofreading #sor #teachingontiktok #teachingideas #lettersounds #addingmovement #segmentingsounds #reading #heggertyphonics #heggertyphonemicawareness #teacheractivities #kindergarten #kinderclassroom #firstgrade #secondgrade #studentlearning #futureteacher #smallgroup #smallgroupinstruction #homeschool #homeschooling #readingactivities #learntoread #tactilelearning | Lisa Elaine | Lisa Elaine · Original audio

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Six written syllable-spelling conventions are used in English spelling. These were regularized by Noah Webster to justify his 1806 dictionary’s division of syllables. The conventions are useful to teach because they help students remember when to double letters in spelling and how to pronounce the vowels in new words. The conventions also help teachers organize decoding and spelling instruction.

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Learn the six types of syllables found in English orthography, why it’s important to teach syllables, and the sequence in which students learn about both spoken and written syllables.

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Secondary Literacy Intervention: Successful Strategies for Closing the Literacy Gap

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Secondary Literacy Intervention: Successful Strategies for Closing the Literacy Gap

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Adolescent learners who are not reading on grade level face significant challenges in their academic and personal lives. They are more likely to earn lower grades, feel frustration, and experience disengagement from school. Effective interventions can help these students catch up and improve their literacy and life outcomes. While there are many strategies and approaches, a few practices are especially critical for this population of learners.

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Adolescent learners who are not reading on grade level face significant challenges in their academic and personal lives. They are more likely to earn lower grades, feel frustration, and experience disengagement from school. Effective interventions can help these students catch up and improve their literacy and life outcomes. While there are many strategies and approaches, a few practices are especially critical for this population of learners.

Properly Assess Students Word Level Reading Skills

Educators, administrators, and curriculum decision makers often assume that by high school, students are able to decode and read words, and have been able to do so since elementary school. Thus, the emphasis in secondary literacy is most often on comprehension, analysis, and writing, without always taking the time to look more deeply at what these delayed readers need. It is true that most high school students look and behave like they are proficient word readers, but this is not the case. In 2021, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 37% of high school seniors were proficient or advanced in reading, and data suggests that a large chunk of the below-proficient readers have word level reading challenges to some extent. Unfortunately, if students are struggling readers, they have years of experience coping and masking their challenges, thus their knowledge gaps can easily be overlooked. To avoid missing these critical gaps, it's essential to check students' actual phonemic awareness and decoding knowledge. We cannot create proficient readers without first assessing and addressing word reading.

Use a screener that checks the student's skills with both nonsense and real words. Non-proficient readers are often missed because they are reasonably good at storing words in sight word memory once they know them. While this is also a good skill, it can mask decoding deficits. Students need to be able to apply decoding principles to unfamiliar words, not just read words they have already encountered and memorized.

Use a screener that will help you uncover error patterns so that you know specifically where the decoding weaknesses are. Some students may have broad deficits, while others have specific gaps.

Fix Decoding First

It can be frustrating to realize that a high school student has decoding deficits, but no one is likely more frustrated than the student themselves. They are late in their school career, and pressing comprehension and writing needs are at the forefront of the typical secondary curriculum. However, if teachers fall prey to the idea that they don't have time to teach decoding, the student's knowledge gap will increase and they will not be able to make progress in the other areas of reading. If you identify decoding deficits through screening, these deficits must be addressed with explicit instruction so that the student can read words. Everything else - vocabulary knowledge, comprehension, curricular standards, enjoyment of reading - all of these things hinge on making sure that the student has solid word reading skills. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut around this.

High schoolers are sometimes reluctant and embarrassed to have underlying reading deficits discovered, and can be stubborn about doing the work to correct it. It makes sense, as this often comes from years of not understanding what was going on in the classroom, accompanied by feelings of low self-esteem. Students find ways to cope. They tell themselves that reading doesn't matter, or that they read "well enough," or that they hate reading. Fortunately, those defense mechanisms typically fall away quickly once the student is receiving the right kind of instruction.

Proper phonemic and decoding instruction is: explicit, systematic, sequential, and preferably multisensory. All learners do well with this type of instruction, but children who struggled to learn to read during their elementary years absolutely require it in order to learn word reading. The good news is that while many students, even those in high school, will need you to start at the very beginning with short and long vowel sounds and progress through all of the phonemic and phonics concepts without skipping, students at this age often are quick learners. Some students may only require specific instruction in a more complex area of phonics, such as r-controlled, variant vowel, or multisyllabic words. If your data supports that they are fully proficient in some areas then you can begin instruction later in the sequence, but make sure that those more basic skills are fully secure before skipping them. The instructional process for these older students is like fixing potholes in a bumpy runway; as the "holes" are filled with new phonemic skills, more and more words are unlocked, confidence builds, and most learners "take off" with their new reading abilities, quickly appreciating the enormous impact that proper reading has on their entire academic life.

Choose High Interest ... Everything

It's common knowledge that educators need to choose high-interest books, stories, and non-fiction for older students. But that advice is not very specific, nor is it as expansive as it should be, and it's often implemented in a way that is teacher-centric, rather than being student-centric.

Stories and Texts

Secondary struggling readers are usually quite far behind in many areas: content knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, genre knowledge, sentence structure and grammar, and the list goes on. So, it is okay and even preferable to have a goal of "hooking" them on reading and words, more so that getting them to appreciate the richness of literature, especially at first. You'll find countless blog posts and curated lists directing you to wonderful books and stories like The Giver, by Lois Lowry, or Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank, or Thank you M'am, by Langston Hughes, and if those types of books work to hook your students, that's wonderful, because they are critically acclaimed and regularly taught with good reason. You may, however, have more luck with thinking way outside of the box. Short stories and nonfiction pieces are often more digestible than novels, and offer plenty to work with when students don't have the speed or stamina for books.

As noted before, secondary struggling readers often don't like reading or anything associated with it. For them, reading is out of reach, not fun, and not something they want to spend any time on. As teachers we need to flip their entire paradigm, and that is not easy! Adding a bit of sugar to cough medicine may make it tolerable, but it's not something you seek out the way you would seek out a delicious homemade dessert. Our goal is to gain students' interest so that they see that reading is more like that delicious dessert, rather than a medicine to be tolerated or avoided. These students have mature, complicated lives and interests and they will likely refuse to read anything that they deem childish, old-fashioned, or out of touch. Yes, it's often their lack of exposure that makes them erroneously judge excellent, time-tested literature as irrelevant, but you are unlikely to convince them otherwise through forced reading. The good news is there is an almost infinite array of choices to grab them if you set aside your own ideas of what they "should be reading." Look for stories with authentic, modern dialogue, where your students can see themselves in the pages or in the main characters - figuring out how to navigate high school romance and drama, make the competitive varsity team, deal with annoying parents, or cope with bullying, prejudice, or traumatic experiences.

Stories and texts that drew universal five-stars from students in one secondary literacy classroom last year included:

"Strawberry Spring," a short story by Stephen King (1978) from Night Shift

"How to Transform an Everyday, Ordinary Hoop Court into a Place of Higher Learning and You at the Podium" by Matt de la Peña (2016), published in the anthology Flying Lesson and Other Stories

"Eraser Tattoo" by Jason Reynolds

"Bad Bunny's Next Move" published in Time magazine, March 28, 2024, by Andrew R. Chow and Mariah Espada

This list is just an example of one way to be creative with your selections. This teacher knew that her students loved horror, romance (even if they pretended they didn't), sports, and music, and leaned into works that she knew they would find edgy and authentic, and not feel like "this is good for you" (like medicine). Good teachers can always find new vocabulary, themes, authorial choice, and much more in any story or nonfiction chosen, so be extremely selective in choosing pieces that really meet your students wherever they are - especially if they are certain that "reading is boring."

Words

Words are just as interesting as stories - and just as important. Words can take center stage in a high school classroom in many ways: puzzles, song lyrics, slang exploration, slam poetry, sentence examination, semantic gradients, words with multiple meanings, and much more. The word gap for struggling readers is significant. Experts estimate that typically developing readers know about 30,000 words in 7th grade and 40,000-50,000 words when they graduate high school (Graves, 2009). That word knowledge comes from breadth and depth of exposure; 12-20 exposures in varied and complex text is needed in order to master a word and truly grasp its meaning (Cardenas-Hagan, 2020). Below grade level readers who rarely read independently are encountering far fewer words, and less often. They also may miss a significant amount of classroom and textbook instruction due to their reading deficits. The outcome of this is cumulative, and means that they know a shocking 50-90% fewer words than on-grade-level peers by the time they reach high school. Teachers can make a high impact with these students by looking for constant, daily opportunities to expand word curiosity and word knowledge.

If you need to teach high school students basic phonics, you don't need to do it with words like cat, pet, hen, and pest. High schoolers will be much happier working on a basic concept such as short vowel phonemes with words like: chat, quest, dwell, yelp, thatch, and heft, or on VCE phonemes with dedicate, antidote, ridicule, and obsolete. This carries through to all of the phonemic concepts - either curate the words you use carefully, choosing high interest, high value words or use a program like Really Great Reading's HD Word that uses mature words like those above on day one of the curriculum, and moves learners into multisyllabic words within the first few lessons. Do not rely on the words that are regularly used to teach the same concepts to elementary learners.

Classroom & Materials

Much has been made of setting up classrooms with rich libraries, comfy seating, and cozy lighting. Beyond that, adolescent learners want to have agency and community. If your classroom is prepared with tables for group work and lively discussion, materials they can access without your permission such as headphones for audio books, and white boards and markers for syllable and morpheme work, and changing visuals that engage conversation, your students will be more likely to want to be in the room...and learn there. To the greatest extent you can, make your room a place where adolescents want to hang out and feel ownership.

Lessons & Activities

A tendency that secondary teachers of striving readers may have is to slow down. After all, if students are behind they often need extra time, extra instruction, and lots of repetition. While slowing the pace makes sense, it's also true that students' attention spans are shorter than ever. The more we can teach at a quick pace, the more we can hold their attention. You can serve both goals if you teach at a fast pace, and then revisit concepts through regular repetition and practice. One consistently successful way to do this is to gamify anything you can; high schoolers almost universally love games, and they usually enjoy competition as well. Some examples of games include:

Daily teacher-created Wordle-style games following your phonics instruction

Word guessing games for taught vocabulary & morphemes

Elimination games for anything you have asked your students to memorize

"Rewrite the ending" competitions following stories

Readers theaters where students do laptop set design, sound and effects, editing and more, drawing on their tech savvy skills and vote for and win "Oscars" in various categories

Word detective trivia contests

Escape room style games where students solve clues related to phonics, vocabulary, morphemes, sentences, and more to unlock the room

Teach Morphemes

Morphemes are usually taught in elementary school, but if your students were lagging behind, they may have missed or forgotten most or all of that instruction. Unless learners were regularly encountering new words or new word parts, they probably didn't internalize or commit to memory any morphemes they learned the way that "good" and regular readers would have. However, high school is so content-rich across subject areas that the timing is ideal for teaching (or re-teaching) morphemes. And, morphemes are a much more efficient way to teach vocabulary. With morphemes, students have access to exponentially more words and ideas than they do learning vocabulary words one at time, so this is an excellent way to combat the enormous word gap that exists for most below level readers. One study estimated that knowledge of just 20 prefixes and 14 bases (roots) unlocks the meaning of over 100,000 words (Gruber 1986). Consider teaching the 100 most common morphemes sequentially as part of your regular curriculum. Just like students need to understand that a phoneme is the smallest unit of speech, they should understand that a morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning, and be able to use learned morphemic knowledge to better understand content across settings.

One effective strategy is to reach out to your Math, social studies, and science teaching peers (feel free to include other disciplines as well), and ask them for words or word banks, or even key curricular material they want students to be able to access. Then, use those expectations to inform your morphological study with your students.

Maximize Teacher:Student Instruction & Engagement

The market is full with scripted programs, many of them online. Often though, struggling secondary students have such individual needs that the programs aren't as well-targeted to them as traditional teacher student 1:1, small group, or whole group work. As exceptional as many programs are, and they certainly have an important place in a literacy classroom, teachers have the ability to be responsive in a much more nuanced way when providing direct instruction. For example, if students sort words based on phonics patterns with you, or follow and copy your annotations while you demonstrate using a document camera, or share their thoughts and questions during a shared oral story, you can engage with them in the moment to make sure they are understanding what they are supposed to be learning.

Teacher:student interaction lends itself to getting students off of screens for at least part of their day. We now know that handwriting which has been largely forgotten in school is directly tied to reading. Writing for this population shouldn't be primarily about essay composition, but rather about stamina, expression of ideas, spelling, and grammar. You can offer writing work in very small (sentence-level) chunks and give immediate corrective feedback.

Anything out loud is excellent. You can model fluency and prosody with students during choral reading or reader's theater activities. When you choose to read a story or text orally with students it can be one that is more challenging or a higher Lexile level, because they can usually orally comprehend at a higher level than they can read, and you will be right there to check their understanding as you read.

Make Authentic Student Connections

Before any of the strategies above can be offered or accessed, teachers have to create a safe space for students to take chances and attempt the interventions. Students need to understand and believe that their reading needs are not their fault. You, as the teacher, hopefully recognize yourself that the student is not to blame for their current skill level, and also believe that they can make progress. Students will borrow your faith and confidence in them if they see and sense it.

Teachers can provide data to students early in the school year, showing the gaps in literacy across all types of students (and adults!) in order to disprove the notion that delayed readers are not smart. Those of us who study how the brain learns to read know that reading is exceptionally complex, that schools have not always used the best strategies to teach it, and that reading acquisition is not related to intelligence. Normalizing reading struggles goes a long way to helping students set aside any defensive posturing they might have understandably developed.

Teaching secondary students who need to improve in reading is challenging, but it is also incredibly rewarding. Despite the sweat and tears of both teachers and students, It's hard to think of a place in education where the work is more recognizably impactful right in front of your eyes.

Real students. Real teachers. Real classrooms.

Implementing real solutions and experiencing really great results with Really Great Reading.

We are committed to enhancing literacy outcomes; our community provides a rich array of resources, collaborative opportunities, and expert guidance.

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Secondary Literacy Intervention: Successful Strategies for Closing the Literacy Gap

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Find out more about how our El Resources can help your studentsFind Out MoreDownload our Top 5 Secondary Intervention Strategies Infographic! Check out our webinar on Enhancing Literacy Outcomes for Struggling Readers!Sign up for our Structured Literacy Community to watch our webinar on how to enhance literacy outcomes for struggling readers!

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Fluency is the ability to read a text with accuracy, automaticity, and prosody (expression) sufficient to enable comprehension. Fluency is a key skill to becoming a strong reader because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Researchers define language acquisition into two categories: first-language acquisition and second-language acquisition. First-language acquisition is a universal process regardless of home language. Babies listen to the sounds around them, begin to imitate them, and eventually start producing words. Second-language acquisition assumes knowledge in a first language and encompasses the process an individual goes through as he or she learns the elements of a new language, such as vocabulary, phonological components, grammatical structures, and writing systems.

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When I read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, I remember being fascinated by the "babel fish." These were fish, who when dropped in a person's ear, would provide immediate translation of any language, thriving on sound waves and converting them into comprehensible language.

Wouldn't it be just great if learning a new language were that easy (despite the "yuck" factor)? While we do have some technology that provides translation into a variety of languages, it often fails to translate accurately due to the complexity of language. Effective communication requires so much more than just being able to translate vocabulary words - it requires knowledge of intonation, dialect, and intent, and a nuanced understanding of word use, expression, and a language's cultural context. For example, one online translation application I tried translated "Fall Events" as "fall down events" in Spanish because it didn't know that I was referring to events in autumn.

So, without a babel fish or perfect technology, we are left with the old-fashioned way of learning a new language, which requires time, effort, and patience. How much time, effort, and patience depends a lot on the individual who is learning, as well as the learning environment and situation, but language researchers have developed a general outline of language acquisition that helps explain the process that language learners go through to develop skills in a foreign language. In this article, I will provide an overview to the stages of language acquisition, and offer strategies designed to support ELL instruction at different stages of language acquisition.

Stages of Language Acquisition

Researchers define language acquisition into two categories: first-language acquisition and second-language acquisition. First-language acquisition is a universal process regardless of home language. Babies listen to the sounds around them, begin to imitate them, and eventually start producing words. Second-language acquisition assumes knowledge in a first language and encompasses the process an individual goes through as he or she learns the elements of a new language, such as vocabulary, phonological components, grammatical structures, and writing systems.

The Six Stages of Second-Language Acquisition

Pre-production

This is also called "the silent period," when the student takes in the new language but does not speak it. This period often lasts six weeks or longer, depending on the individual.

Early production

The individual begins to speak using short words and sentences, but the emphasis is still on listening and absorbing the new language. There will be many errors in the early production stage.

Speech Emergent

Speech becomes more frequent, words and sentences are longer, but the individual still relies heavily on context clues and familiar topics. Vocabulary continues to increase and errors begin to decrease, especially in common or repeated interactions.

Beginning Fluency

Speech is fairly fluent in social situations with minimal errors. New contexts and academic language are challenging and the individual will struggle to express themselves due to gaps in vocabulary and appropriate phrases.

Intermediate Fluency

Communicating in the second language is fluent, especially in social language situations. The individual is able to speak almost fluently in new situations or in academic areas, but there will be gaps in vocabulary knowledge and some unknown expressions. There are very few errors, and the individual is able to demonstrate higher order thinking skills in the second language such as offering an opinion or analyzing a problem.

Advanced Fluency

The individual communicates fluently in all contexts and can maneuver successfully in new contexts and when exposed to new academic information. At this stage, the individual may still have an accent and use idiomatic expressions incorrectly at times, but the individual is essentially fluent and comfortable communicating in the second language.

How long does it take for a language learner to go through these stages? Just as in any other learning situation, it depends on the individual. One of the major contributors to accelerated second language learning is the strength of first language skills. Language researchers such as Jim Cummins, Catherine Snow, Lily Wong Filmore and Stephen Krashen have studied this topic in a variety of ways for many years. The general consensus is that it takes between five to seven years for an individual to achieve advanced fluency. This generally applies to individuals who have strong first language and literacy skills. If an individual has not fully developed first language and literacy skills, it may take between seven to ten years to reach advanced fluency. It is very important to note that every ELL student comes with his or her own unique language and education background, and this will have an impact on their English learning process.

It is also important to keep in mind that the understood goal for American ELL students is Advanced Fluency, which includes fluency in academic contexts as well as social contexts. Teachers often get frustrated when ELL students appear to be fluent because they have strong social English skills, but then they do not participate well in academic projects and discussions. Teachers who are aware of ELL students' need to develop academic language fluency in English will be much better prepared to assist those students in becoming academically successful. (Learn more about academic language in Colorín Colorado's academic language resource section.)

Instructional Strategies

If you have ELL students in your classroom, it is more than likely there will be students at a variety of stages in the language acquisition process. What can teachers do to differentiate instruction according to language level? Here are some suggestions for appropriate instructional strategies according to stages of language acquisition.

Emphasize listening comprehension by using read-alouds and music.

Use visuals and have students point to pictures or act out vocabulary.

Speak slowly and use shorter words, but use correct English phrasing.

Model "survival" language by saying and showing the meaning. For example, say, "Open your book," and then open a book while the student observes.

Gesture, point and show as much as possible.

More advanced classmates who speak the same language can support new learning through interpretation.

Avoid excessive error correction. Reinforce learning by modeling correct language usage when students make mistakes.

Continue the strategies listed above, but add opportunities for students to produce simple language.

Ask students to point to pictures and say the new word.

Ask yes/no and either/or questions.

Have students work in pairs or small groups to discuss a problem. Have literate students write short sentences or words in graphic organizers.

Model a phrase and have the student repeat it and add modifications. Teacher says, "This book is very interesting." The student repeats it and says, "This book is very boring." Continue with as many modifications as possible.

Avoid excessive error correction. Reinforce learning by modeling correct usage.

Introduce more academic language and skills by using the same techniques listed above, but beginning to use more academic vocabulary.

Introduce new academic vocabulary and model how to use it in a sentence.

Provide visuals and make connections with student's background knowledge as much as possible.

Ask questions that require a short answer and are fairly literal.

Introduce charts and graphs by using easily understood information such as a class survey of food preferences.

Have students re-tell stories or experiences and have another student write them down. The ELL student can bring these narratives home to read and reinforce learning.

In writing activities, provide the student with a fill-in-the blank version of the assignment with the necessary vocabulary listed on the page.

Provide minimal error correction. Focus only on correction that directly interferes with meaning. Reinforce learning by modeling the correct usage.

Have students work in pairs and groups to discuss content.

During instruction, have students do a "Think, pair, share" to give the student an opportunity to process the new language and concept.

Ask questions that require a full response with explanation. If you do not understand the student's explanation, ask for clarification by paraphrasing and asking the student if you heard them correctly.

Ask questions that require inference and justification of the answer.

Ask students if they agree or disagree with a statement and why.

Model more advanced academic language structures such as, "I think," "In my opinion," and "When you compare." Have students repeat the phrases in context.

Re-phrase incorrect statements in correct English, or ask the student if they know another way to say it.

Introduce nuances of language such as when to use more formal English and how to interact in conversations.

Have students make short presentations, providing them with the phrases and language used in presentations ("Today I will be talking about") and giving them opportunities to practice the presentation with partners before getting in front of the class.

Continue to provide visual support and vocabulary development.

Correct errors that interfere with meaning, and pre-identify errors that will be corrected in student writing, such as verb-tense agreement. Only correct the errors agreed upon.

You may want to assist in improving pronunciation by asking a student to repeat key vocabulary and discussing how different languages have different sounds.

Identify key academic vocabulary and phrases and model them. Ask students to produce the language in class activities.

Use graphic organizers and thinking maps and check to make sure the student is filling them in with details. Challenge the student to add more.

Help the student make connections with new vocabulary by instructing him or her in the etymology of words or word families such as, "important, importance, importantly."

Create assessments that give students an opportunity to present in English after they have an opportunity to practice in pairs or small groups.

Introduce more academic skills, such as brainstorming, prioritizing, categorization, summarizing and compare and contrast.

Ask students to identify vocabulary by symbols that show whether the student "knows it really well, kind of knows it, or doesn't know it at all." Help students focus on strategies to get the meaning of new words.

Have a "guessing time" during silent reading where they circle words they don't know and write down their guess of the meaning. Check the results as a class.

Introduce idioms and give examples of how to use them appropriately. For example, "Let's wind up our work." What's another way you could use the phrase "wind up?"

Starting at this level, students need more correction/feedback, even on errors that do not directly affect meaning. They should be developing a more advanced command of syntax, pragmatics, pronunciation, and other elements that do not necessarily affect meaning but do contribute to oral fluency.

It may also be helpful to discuss language goals with the student so you can assist in providing modeling and correction in specified areas.

Students at this level are close to native language fluency and can interact well in a variety of situations. Continue to develop language skills as gaps arise by using the strategies listed above. Although the student may seem completely fluent, he or she still benefit from visual support, building on background knowledge, pre-teaching vocabulary and making connections between content areas.

Offer challenge activities to expand the student's vocabulary knowledge such as identifying antonyms, synonyms and the use of a thesaurus and dictionary.

Demonstrate effective note-taking and provide a template.

Offer error correction on academic work and on oral language. Because students at this stage have achieved near-native fluency, they benefit from support in fine-tuning their oral and written language skills.

Recommendations

Scaffold instruction so students receive comprehensible input and are able to successfully complete tasks at their level. Instructional scaffolding works just like the scaffolding used in building. It holds you at the level needed until you are ready to take it down. Scaffolding includes asking students questions in formats that give them support in answering, such as yes/no questions, one-word identifications, or short answers. It also means providing the context for learning by having visuals or other hands-on items available to support content learning. Also, when practicing a new academic skill such as skimming, scaffolding involves using well-known material so the students aren't struggling with the information while they are trying to learn a new skill. Scaffolding includes whatever it takes to make the instruction meaningful for the student in order to provide a successful learning experience.

Use cognates to help Spanish speakers learn English and derive meaning from content. The Colorín Colorado website has a helpful list of common cognates in Spanish for teachers to reference. Teachers can explicitly point out cognates for Spanish speaking students so they begin to realize that this is a useful way for them to increase their English vocabulary.

Explicit vocabulary instruction is very important in accelerating ELL students' English language development. Textbooks include lists of new vocabulary words based on grade-level content, but ELL students need further vocabulary instruction. There are many words in a text that may affect the ELL student's comprehension of the text that a teacher may assume he or she knows. It is important for teachers to develop ways to help students identify the words they don't know, as well as strategies for getting their meaning. Of course it is also beneficial if teachers reinforce the language structures or common associations of vocabulary. For example, "squeak" is a sound that often goes with "mouse" or "door" and it may be stated as, "squeak, squeaky, squeaks, or squeaked."

Error correction should be done very intentionally and appropriately according to student language ability, as noted earlier in the article. Students who are just beginning to speak English are already nervous about using their new language skills and constant correction will not improve their ability; it will just make them want to withdraw. I inform students in advance of the type of errors I will correct, such as "missing articles" and "third person agreement," and then those are the only errors I check. In my class, I do not correct the errors; I circle the mistakes and return the paper to the student. They are responsible for correcting the errors and returning the paper to receive more points. Most of the time the students can make the corrections themselves when they see the area I've circled, but if they have difficulty, I guide them as they make the correction. In this way, I feel there is a manageable amount of correction information to work with and the student will actually learn from doing the correction.

Learning another language. If you learn the language(s) your students speak, they will be thrilled to hear you try it with them. I learned how to say "good morning" in Somali and had to practice for an hour before I felt comfortable saying it. When I did I was rewarded with the big grins of students as they entered the room. They were excited to teach me other phrases as well, and we discussed how much English they had learned since they arrived in the country. They were very proud to think of how much progress they'd made.

Seek the experts in your building or district who can offer you guidance on effective instructional strategies for your ELL students. There are many teachers who have taught ELL students in your content area, have taught a certain population of students, or are trained ESL or bilingual teachers who have a lot of advice and support to offer. Don't hesitate to look for support when you are challenged to reach students who are learning English. This can be especially true when you have a "pre-production" or "beginning level" student and you are responsible for grade level content instruction.

Visit the hotlinks section for this article for more information on specific research regarding language acquisition and recommended instructional strategies. You can also search the Colorín Colorado educator information for useful information and resources to assist you in meeting ELL student needs.

ELL teachers encounter students with a variety of backgrounds and abilities, and until the babel fish comes into existence, they will need to have flexibility, creativity and skill in order to help ELL students make meaning from the new language and content they are learning. An understanding of the language acquisition process and levels will help teachers tailor instruction to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners. Students will benefit from everything teachers do to support the development of their language skills while teaching them grade level content. Together teachers and students develop their understanding of each other, the world around them, and the language that connects us all.
The Stages of Second Language Acquisition
This chapter from Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners Facilitator's Guide, by Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Björk, offers information on the second language acquisition process and effective ELL instruction. It includes a a simplified chart of language acquisition levels and the kinds of language teachers can use to help students at each level.

Simple description of the stages of language acquisition and recommendations for instructional strategies according to level.
Overview of Second Language Acquisition and Strategies
Downloadable booklet from the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, "Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language Learners." Includes useful information on language levels, acquisition and 10 things teachers can do today to help ELL students.
Understanding the "Silent Period" with English Language Learners
This article describes some strategies used by two kindergarten teachers to communicate verbally and nonverbally.

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“One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.”— Chinese ProverbWhen I read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, I remember being fascinated by the “babel fish.” These were fish, who when dropped in a person’s ear, would provide immediate translation of any language, thriving on sound waves and converting them into comprehensible language.Wouldn’t it be just great if learning a new language were that easy (despite the “yuck” factor)? While we do have some technology that provides translation into a variety of languages, it often fails to translate accurately due to the complexity of language. Effective communication requires so much more than just being able to translate vocabulary words — it requires knowledge of intonation, dialect, and intent, and a nuanced understanding of word use, expression, and a language’s cultural context. For example, one online translation application I tried translated “Fall Events” as “fall down events” in Spanish because it didn’t know that I was referring to events in autumn.So, without a babel fish or perfect technology, we are left with the old-fashioned way of learning a new language, which requires time, effort, and patience. How much time, effort, and patience depends a lot on the individual who is learning, as well as the learning environment and situation, but language researchers have developed a general outline of language acquisition that helps explain the process that language learners go through to develop skills in a foreign language. In this article, I will provide an overview to the stages of language acquisition, and offer strategies designed to support ELL instruction at different stages of language acquisition.Stages of Language AcquisitionResearchers define language acquisition into two categories: first-language acquisition and second-language acquisition. First-language acquisition is a universal process regardless of home language. Babies listen to the sounds around them, begin to imitate them, and eventually start producing words. Second-language acquisition assumes knowledge in a first language and encompasses the process an individual goes through as he or she learns the elements of a new language, such as vocabulary, phonological components, grammatical structures, and writing systems.The Six Stages of Second-Language AcquisitionPre-productionThis is also called “the silent period,” when the student takes in the new language but does not speak it. This period often lasts six weeks or longer, depending on the individual.Early productionThe individual begins to speak using short words and sentences, but the emphasis is still on listening and absorbing the new language. There will be many errors in the early production stage.Speech EmergentSpeech becomes more frequent, words and sentences are longer, but the individual still relies heavily on context clues and familiar topics. Vocabulary continues to increase and errors begin to decrease, especially in common or repeated interactions.Beginning FluencySpeech is fairly fluent in social situations with minimal errors. New contexts and academic language are challenging and the individual will struggle to express themselves due to gaps in vocabulary and appropriate phrases.Intermediate FluencyCommunicating in the second language is fluent, especially in social language situations. The individual is able to speak almost fluently in new situations or in academic areas, but there will be gaps in vocabulary knowledge and some unknown expressions. There are very few errors, and the individual is able to demonstrate higher order thinking skills in the second language such as offering an opinion or analyzing a problem.Advanced FluencyThe individual communicates fluently in all contexts and can maneuver successfully in new contexts and when exposed to new academic information. At this stage, the individual may still have an accent and use idiomatic expressions incorrectly at times, but the individual is essentially fluent and comfortable communicating in the second language.How long does it take for a language learner to go through these stages? Just as in any other learning situation, it depends on the individual. One of the major contributors to accelerated second language learning is the strength of first language skills. Language researchers such as Jim Cummins, Catherine Snow, Lily Wong Filmore and Stephen Krashen have studied this topic in a variety of ways for many years. The general consensus is that it takes between five to seven years for an individual to achieve advanced fluency. This generally applies to individuals who have strong first language and literacy skills. If an individual has not fully developed first language and literacy skills, it may take between seven to ten years to reach advanced fluency. It is very important to note that every ELL student comes with his or her own unique language and education background, and this will have an impact on their English learning process.It is also important to keep in mind that the understood goal for American ELL students is Advanced Fluency, which includes fluency in academic contexts as well as social contexts. Teachers often get frustrated when ELL students appear to be fluent because they have strong social English skills, but then they do not participate well in academic projects and discussions. Teachers who are aware of ELL students’ need to develop academic language fluency in English will be much better prepared to assist those students in becoming academically successful. (Learn more about academic language in Colorín Colorado’s academic language resource section.) Instructional StrategiesIf you have ELL students in your classroom, it is more than likely there will be students at a variety of stages in the language acquisition process. What can teachers do to differentiate instruction according to language level? Here are some suggestions for appropriate instructional strategies according to stages of language acquisition.Language StageStrategiesPre-productionEmphasize listening comprehension by using read-alouds and music.Use visuals and have students point to pictures or act out vocabulary.Speak slowly and use shorter words, but use correct English phrasing.Model “survival” language by saying and showing the meaning. For example, say, “Open your book,” and then open a book while the student observes.Gesture, point and show as much as possible.More advanced classmates who speak the same language can support new learning through interpretation.Avoid excessive error correction. Reinforce learning by modeling correct language usage when students make mistakes.Early ProductionContinue the strategies listed above, but add opportunities for students to produce simple language.Ask students to point to pictures and say the new word.Ask yes/no and either/or questions.Have students work in pairs or small groups to discuss a problem. Have literate students write short sentences or words in graphic organizers.Model a phrase and have the student repeat it and add modifications. Teacher says, “This book is very interesting.” The student repeats it and says, “This book is very boring.” Continue with as many modifications as possible.Avoid excessive error correction. Reinforce learning by modeling correct usage.Speech EmergentIntroduce more academic language and skills by using the same techniques listed above, but beginning to use more academic vocabulary.Introduce new academic vocabulary and model how to use it in a sentence.Provide visuals and make connections with student’s background knowledge as much as possible.Ask questions that require a short answer and are fairly literal.Introduce charts and graphs by using easily understood information such as a class survey of food preferences.Have students re-tell stories or experiences and have another student write them down. The ELL student can bring these narratives home to read and reinforce learning.In writing activities, provide the student with a fill-in-the blank version of the assignment with the necessary vocabulary listed on the page.Provide minimal error correction. Focus only on correction that directly interferes with meaning. Reinforce learning by modeling the correct usage.Beginning FluencyHave students work in pairs and groups to discuss content.During instruction, have students do a “Think, pair, share” to give the student an opportunity to process the new language and concept.Ask questions that require a full response with explanation. If you do not understand the student’s explanation, ask for clarification by paraphrasing and asking the student if you heard them correctly.Ask questions that require inference and justification of the answer.Ask students if they agree or disagree with a statement and why.Model more advanced academic language structures such as, “I think,” “In my opinion,” and “When you compare.” Have students repeat the phrases in context.Re-phrase incorrect statements in correct English, or ask the student if they know another way to say it.Introduce nuances of language such as when to use more formal English and how to interact in conversations.Have students make short presentations, providing them with the phrases and language used in presentations (“Today I will be talking about”) and giving them opportunities to practice the presentation with partners before getting in front of the class.Continue to provide visual support and vocabulary development.Correct errors that interfere with meaning, and pre-identify errors that will be corrected in student writing, such as verb-tense agreement. Only correct the errors agreed upon.You may want to assist in improving pronunciation by asking a student to repeat key vocabulary and discussing how different languages have different sounds.Intermediate FluencyIdentify key academic vocabulary and phrases and model them. Ask students to produce the language in class activities.Use graphic organizers and thinking maps and check to make sure the student is filling them in with details. Challenge the student to add more.Help the student make connections with new vocabulary by instructing him or her in the etymology of words or word families such as, “important, importance, importantly.“Create assessments that give students an opportunity to present in English after they have an opportunity to practice in pairs or small groups.Introduce more academic skills, such as brainstorming, prioritizing, categorization, summarizing and compare and contrast.Ask students to identify vocabulary by symbols that show whether the student “knows it really well, kind of knows it, or doesn’t know it at all.” Help students focus on strategies to get the meaning of new words.Have a “guessing time” during silent reading where they circle words they don’t know and write down their guess of the meaning. Check the results as a class.Introduce idioms and give examples of how to use them appropriately. For example, “Let’s wind up our work.” What’s another way you could use the phrase “wind up?“Starting at this level, students need more correction/feedback, even on errors that do not directly affect meaning. They should be developing a more advanced command of syntax, pragmatics, pronunciation, and other elements that do not necessarily affect meaning but do contribute to oral fluency.It may also be helpful to discuss language goals with the student so you can assist in providing modeling and correction in specified areas.Advanced FluencyStudents at this level are close to native language fluency and can interact well in a variety of situations. Continue to develop language skills as gaps arise by using the strategies listed above. Although the student may seem completely fluent, he or she still benefit from visual support, building on background knowledge, pre-teaching vocabulary and making connections between content areas.Offer challenge activities to expand the student’s vocabulary knowledge such as identifying antonyms, synonyms and the use of a thesaurus and dictionary.Demonstrate effective note-taking and provide a template.Offer error correction on academic work and on oral language. Because students at this stage have achieved near-native fluency, they benefit from support in fine-tuning their oral and written language skills. RecommendationsScaffold instruction so students receive comprehensible input and are able to successfully complete tasks at their level. Instructional scaffolding works just like the scaffolding used in building. It holds you at the level needed until you are ready to take it down. Scaffolding includes asking students questions in formats that give them support in answering, such as yes/no questions, one-word identifications, or short answers. It also means providing the context for learning by having visuals or other hands-on items available to support content learning. Also, when practicing a new academic skill such as skimming, scaffolding involves using well-known material so the students aren’t struggling with the information while they are trying to learn a new skill. Scaffolding includes whatever it takes to make the instruction meaningful for the student in order to provide a successful learning experience.Use cognates to help Spanish speakers learn English and derive meaning from content. The Colorín Colorado website has a helpful list of common cognates in Spanish for teachers to reference. Teachers can explicitly point out cognates for Spanish speaking students so they begin to realize that this is a useful way for them to increase their English vocabulary.Explicit vocabulary instruction is very important in accelerating ELL students’ English language development. Textbooks include lists of new vocabulary words based on grade-level content, but ELL students need further vocabulary instruction. There are many words in a text that may affect the ELL student’s comprehension of the text that a teacher may assume he or she knows. It is important for teachers to develop ways to help students identify the words they don’t know, as well as strategies for getting their meaning. Of course it is also beneficial if teachers reinforce the language structures or common associations of vocabulary. For example, “squeak” is a sound that often goes with “mouse” or “door” and it may be stated as, “squeak, squeaky, squeaks, or squeaked.“Error correction should be done very intentionally and appropriately according to student language ability, as noted earlier in the article. Students who are just beginning to speak English are already nervous about using their new language skills and constant correction will not improve their ability; it will just make them want to withdraw. I inform students in advance of the type of errors I will correct, such as “missing articles” and “third person agreement,” and then those are the only errors I check. In my class, I do not correct the errors; I circle the mistakes and return the paper to the student. They are responsible for correcting the errors and returning the paper to receive more points. Most of the time the students can make the corrections themselves when they see the area I’ve circled, but if they have difficulty, I guide them as they make the correction. In this way, I feel there is a manageable amount of correction information to work with and the student will actually learn from doing the correction.Learning another language. If you learn the language(s) your students speak, they will be thrilled to hear you try it with them. I learned how to say “good morning” in Somali and had to practice for an hour before I felt comfortable saying it. When I did I was rewarded with the big grins of students as they entered the room. They were excited to teach me other phrases as well, and we discussed how much English they had learned since they arrived in the country. They were very proud to think of how much progress they’d made.Seek the experts in your building or district who can offer you guidance on effective instructional strategies for your ELL students. There are many teachers who have taught ELL students in your content area, have taught a certain population of students, or are trained ESL or bilingual teachers who have a lot of advice and support to offer. Don’t hesitate to look for support when you are challenged to reach students who are learning English. This can be especially true when you have a “pre-production” or “beginning level” student and you are responsible for grade level content instruction.Visit the hotlinks section for this article for more information on specific research regarding language acquisition and recommended instructional strategies. You can also search the Colorín Colorado educator information for useful information and resources to assist you in meeting ELL student needs.ELL teachers encounter students with a variety of backgrounds and abilities, and until the babel fish comes into existence, they will need to have flexibility, creativity and skill in order to help ELL students make meaning from the new language and content they are learning. An understanding of the language acquisition process and levels will help teachers tailor instruction to meet the needs of a diverse group of learners. Students will benefit from everything teachers do to support the development of their language skills while teaching them grade level content. Together teachers and students develop their understanding of each other, the world around them, and the language that connects us all.Hot linksThe Stages of Second Language AcquisitionThis chapter from Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners Facilitator’s Guide, by Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Björk, offers information on the second language acquisition process and effective ELL instruction. It includes a a simplified chart of language acquisition levels and the kinds of language teachers can use to help students at each level.Simple description of the stages of language acquisition and recommendations for instructional strategies according to level.Overview of Second Language Acquisition and StrategiesDownloadable booklet from the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, “Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language Learners.” Includes useful information on language levels, acquisition and 10 things teachers can do today to help ELL students.Understanding the “Silent Period” with English Language LearnersThis article describes some strategies used by two kindergarten teachers to communicate verbally and nonverbally.

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An irregular word is one that cannot be readily decoded because either o it includes grapheme-phoneme correspondences that are unique to that word or a few words (permanently irregular words), or o the student has not yet learned all the grapheme-phoneme correspondences in the word (temporarily irregular words).

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Knowing vocabulary words is key to reading comprehension. The more words a child knows, the better he or she will understand the text. Using a variety of effective teaching methods will increase the student’s ability to learn new words.

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Did you know that according to the United States Census Bureau (2010) there are over 11 million English as second language students in our schools? This student population represents more than 400 native languages spoken in the home. However, 80% of English language learners report Spanish as their first language. As educators, we must be prepared to meet the challenges of teaching this diverse population of students.

Fortunately, we now have some important research findings regarding effective literacy instruction for English language learners. One major resource is The National Literacy Panel Report on Language Minority Children and Youth (August and Shanahan, 2006). This report was funded by the US Department of Education and provides evidence on teaching reading and writing to language minority students. It also defines the gaps in the available research. This report explains that vocabulary is an area where English language learners lag behind their English-speaking peers. The report also describes the body of evidence for vocabulary knowledge as a predictor of reading comprehension. Therefore it is essential to implement evidence-based strategies for teaching vocabulary to English language learners.
STRATEGIES FOR INSTRUCTION
Vocabulary words must be carefully selected. Beck, MeKeown and Kucan (2002) discuss three tiers of words. Tier 1 words are described as common, basic, every day words. Tier 2 words are academic words used in texts across multiple contexts. Tier 3 words are academic words that are discipline specific and very narrow in their usage. Examples of tiered words may be as follows:

Polysemous Words with Multiple Meanings
Tier 1 words are basic, common words. We might think our students know them, but these words often have multiple meanings. English language learners may need to consider the varied meanings of common words. For example, think of the word run. How many meanings can you generate for this word? Listed below are eight definitions of the word run, used as a verb.

Further examples of basic words with multiple meanings include bat, sport, and light. Instructors can discuss these words with their students. Students might explore the multiple ways these words are used.
Explicit Instruction: Six Steps
We can teach English language learners word learning strategies. These strategies can become routines that not only increase vocabulary knowledge but also help to develop metalinguistic awareness. English language learners benefit from studying academic Tier 2 words, which occur across many contexts. These words must be explicitly taught. Steps for explicit vocabulary instruction as described by August and Shanahan (2006) include the following:

1. Say and write the word.

2. Provide a definition with familiar terms.

3. Discuss what is known about the word.

4. Provide examples and non-examples.

5. Create sentences with the word.

6. Engage in extended discussions with the word.

With these steps, we can build a routine for our English language learners. Here are examples that utilize the six steps, for teaching the academic word chatter.
1. Say and write the word:

One new word from our textbook today is the word chatter.
Let me write the word for you: chatter
Say the word after me:chatter.
Remember the word ischatter. It is not the word shatter.
Do you hear and see the differences between these two words?

2. Provide a definition with familiar terms:

One definition of the word chatter is to talk very quickly or rapidly (but usually not with an angry tone).

3. Discuss what is known about the word:

Have you ever heard someone chatter? Give me an example of this. We know that people can chatter or speak rapidly, but did you know that chatter can also mean to click your teeth repeatedly? Your teeth can chatter. Let's make our teeth chatter.

4. Provide examples and non-examples:

People can chatter with one another. Our teeth can chatter when we are cold. A glass light bulb cannot chatter, but it can break, or shatter. A table cannot chatter, but people can sit around the table and chatter. Let's discuss some pictures of this.

5. Create a sentence with the word chatter (or a form of the word):

The girls were chattering, so the teacher asked them to please quiet down.

My teeth were chattering when we were standing outside in the cold weather.

6. Engage in extended discussions with the word:

Can a dog chatter? Why or why not?

Can a teenager chatter? Why or why not?

Can a table chatter? Why or why not?

Bilingual Glossaries
The use of bilingual glossaries can help English language learners reinforce their word learning. One example adapted from August and Carlo (2005) is below. Students complete the glossary with the teacher's help, and refer to it when speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Another word learning strategy for English language learners includes introducing the similarities among native language and English word parts. Students will not only build thousands of new English words, they can also make the connections for meaning across languages. Examples are listed below.

Lastly, the use of cognates can be helpful for English language learners to expand their vocabulary knowledge. However, instructors must be aware that many false cognates exist. That is, some words are spelled and written in the same manner but have different meanings across languages. Some examples are listed below.

Colorín Colorado ( www.colorincolorado.org) provides a list of Spanish and English cognates which can be helpful for instructors of English language learners.

In summary, English language learners benefit from explicit vocabulary instruction. It is necessary to provide them with multiple opportunities to use their recently acquired English vocabulary words. The use of word learning strategies which develop into routines can help English language learners to develop metalinguistic awareness for building word knowledge.

August, D.L. & Carlo, M. (2005). References:
Success through academic interventions in language and literacy project. University of Houston TIMES. Houston, Texas.

August, D.L., & Shanahan, T. (2006). Introduction and methodology. In D.L. August & T. Shanahan (Eds.), Developing literacy in a second language: Report of the National Literacy Panel. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Beck, I., McKeown, M., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life. New York: The Guilford Press.

U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved January 2012. Fact Sheet for a Race, Ethnic, or Ancestry Group. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau; available online at http://facfinder. census.gov/servlet/SAFFFactsCharlteration?_submenuld=factsheet_28_sse=on.

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Vocabulary Development for English Language Learners (Cárdenas-Hagan)

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Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan is a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist and a Certified Academic Language Therapist with a doctorate in Curriculu...

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Vocabulary Strategies Putting into Practice - Immerse English learners in listening, speaking,reading and writing new words during content- enriched instruction (August &Shanahan, 2013: Gersten et al., 2007; TESOL,2006). - Engage in intentional planning and determine which words to

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Chapter 7: Vocabulary Instruction Among English Learners

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Oral language encompasses both speaking and listening. Oral language skills include learning how spoken words sound, what words and sentences mean, and how to communicate ideas. Nurturing oral language skills provides a strong foundation for learning to read.

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Oral language encompasses both speaking and listening. Oral language skills include learning how spoken words sound, what words and sentences mean, and how to communicate ideas. Nurturing oral language skills provides a strong foundation for learning to read.

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Fluency and Reading Comprehension

– Reading requires use of cognitive

resources

– Laborious reading leaves few

cognitive resources for meaning

– Effortless reading more cognitive

resources available for meaning

– Fluent reading does not guarantee

comprehension

Fluency and Reading Comprehension

–Research on monolingual English

speakers demonstrates a strong

positive relationship between fluency

and reading comprehension

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Spelling instruction should be FUN!

Instruction should be clear, but it doesn’t have to be dull! Students can become word-pattern detectives, hunting for samples of words and looking for clues to help form their understanding of spelling rules. They can develop knowledge through word sorts and spelling games. The mastering of spelling rules and patterns through fun activities can make learning enjoyable for all!

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Test of Written Language

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Scaffolding Instruction for Multilingual Learners and English Language Learners, K-12 (1)

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Home Language Use in Diverse Classroom Settings (1)

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Individuals who can consciously recognize, comprehend, and manipulate these small units of meaning are engaging in morphological awareness (Kirby & Bowers, 2012). In other words, morphological awareness is an understanding that prefixes and suffixes can be added or taken away to change the meaning of a word (Ebbers, 2017).

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A team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently. Students can complete the activities in small groups, pairs, or individually.

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A team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently. Students can complete the activities in small groups, pairs, or individually.

Accompanying these Student Center Activities is a Teacher Resource Guide that offers important insights on differentiated instruction and how to use the Student Center materials.

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From 2004 to 2010, a team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently. Students can complete the activities in small groups, pairs, or individually.

Accompanying these Student Center Activities is a Teacher Resource Guide that offers important insights on differentiated instruction and how to use the Student Center materials.

Component

Name of the reading component: Phonological Awareness (PA), Phonics (P), Fluency (F), Vocabulary (V), or Comprehension (C). Each component is color coded: PA is purple, P is orange, F is red, V is green, C is blue.

Subcomponent

Name of the reading subcomponent, which is a subskill of the component.

Activity Name

Activity Number

The letters correspond with the reading component (PA, P, F, V, or C). The numbers are listed in ascending order within each component. The activities are sequenced from simple to more complex within each component and subcomponent.

Student Icon

The suggested number of students for the activity. One student icon indicates that students may work independently or with a small group. Two student icons indicate that the activity requires students to work in pairs. Two student icons with a plus sign indicate that the activity requires two or more students.

Objective

States the goal of the activity, which is aligned with the subcomponent.

Materials

Materials are located on the pages that follow the Activity Plan. Most materials are non-consumable to be prepared and used repeatedly (e.g., word cards can be laminated). Some materials are consumable and will need to be duplicated for each student doing the activity. Other materials, such as counters, are commonly found in most classrooms.

Activity Statement

One sentence explanation of the purpose of the activity and what students do to complete the activity.

Activity Steps

The first step describes how to setup the center. The second step begins with: The student, Students, Working in pairs, or Taking turns depending on the number of students needed to complete the activity. The second step also starts the series of steps to complete the activity. The next steps explain what the student does to complete the activity. The last step lists one of three accountability methods: Self-check, Peer evaluation, or Teacher evaluation.

Example

A visual of the activity and key materials.

Extensions and Adaptations

Suggestions that extend or provide an adaptation for additional practice on the skill addressed in the activity. Materials for the extensions and adaptations are included after the pages that align to the Activity Plan.

Users may use the FCRR Student Center Activities resources as long as modifications are not made, the resources will only be used for non-profit educational purposes, and the copyright belong jointly to the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Center for Reading Research. These resources may not be used for any commercial purposes. These resources on our site may be linked to but not reposted, reproduced, modified, or copied to other sites. For questions about the use of these resources, please contact The Florida Center for Reading Research at fcrr@fcrr.org.

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From 2004 to 2010, a team of researchers and teachers at FCRR collected ideas and created Student Center Activities for use in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms. The activities are designed for students to practice, demonstrate, and extend their learning of what has already been taught, sometimes with teacher assistance and sometimes independently.

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Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented—and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area.

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Effective and Efficient Teaching

By Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes

Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented-and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area. The authors are leading experts who provide clear guidelines for identifying key concepts, strategies, skills, and routines to teach; designing and delivering effective lessons; and giving students opportunities to practice and master new material. Sample lesson plans, lively examples, and reproducible checklists and teacher worksheets enhance the utility of the volume.

This title is part of the What Works for Special-Needs Learners Series, edited by Karen R. Harris and Steve Graham.

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Explicit Instructions | Effective and Efficient Teaching

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By Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes Explicit instruction is systematic, direct, engaging, and success oriented-and has been shown to promote achievement for all students. This highly practical and accessible resource gives special and general education teachers the tools to implement explicit instruction in any grade level or content area.

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The more practice kids have with fluency, the better they become at reading fluently and the better they are at comprehending what they read. There are many ways to help kids develop reading fluency, both in and out of the classroom.

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Learning to read starts kids on a lifelong learning journey, but literacy is more than just understanding the words on a page. Reading fluency involves comprehension, speed, accuracy, and prosody (reading with expression). There are many ways to help kids develop reading fluency, both in and out of the classroom. Here are some of our favorite reading fluency activities.

1. Start with a reading fluency anchor chart

Introduce the basics of reading fluency with an anchor chart you can hang in the classroom. It's a good reference for kids throughout the year. Here are more fluency anchor charts to try.

Learn more: Oral Reading Fluency/Teaching With a Mountain View

2. Model fluency with read-alouds

Reading aloud to kids is important for so many reasons, but one of the best is that it teaches kids what fluency sounds like. Adults can model expression, phrasing, pace, and so much more when they read to kids. Try some of our favorite read-alouds, or check out this list of the best read-alouds on YouTube as part of your reading center activities.

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3. Hang reading fluency posters

Post these in your classroom reading center to remind kids what reading fluency really means. They're simple but effective. Get your free set of reading fluency posters here.

4. Try sentence trees

Sentence trees are terrific reading activities that build fluency in younger students. They allow kids to focus on each word, improving accuracy and speed along the way.

Learn more: Sentence Trees/Fun in First

5. Put together poems and nursery rhymes

Kids often memorize nursery rhymes long before they learn to read. By breaking those rhymes apart into individual words and putting them back together again, kids see how words build into sentences and stories in a natural flow.

Learn more: Fluency To Improve Comprehension/Mrs. Winter's Bliss

6. Use line tracking and word pointers

For some kids, focus is a challenge. Their eyes wander around the page, and they have trouble developing the speed needed for fluency. Use another piece of paper to help them focus on the line they're reading, or try pointing to the words one by one.

Learn more: Reading With Fluency/Katelyn's Learning Studio

7. Read and reread ... and reread

Fluency involves lots and lots of reading and rereading. When kids read a passage over and over again, they build up their speed and accuracy automatically. One fun way to work on expression is to try rereading with different voices.

Learn more: Improve Reading Comprehension/Teach123

8. Add a timer to rereading

Combine repeated reading with a timer. Students read a passage for 1 minute, working to increase the number of words they read correctly each time. This is a nice tool for working on speed and accuracy.

Learn more: Build Reading Fluency/1st Grade Pandamania

9. Track student progress

While you don't want to overemphasize numbers, tracking a student's fluency is helpful to both you and them. Parents can help with this one at home too.

Learn more: Reading With Fluency/Katelyn's Learning Studio

10. Work on those sight words

One of reasons elementary readers focus so much on sight words is that they help to build reading fluency. Find a roundup of all our favorite sight word activities here.

11. Look to punctuation for expression cues

Punctuation makes passages easier to read, but it also gives a reader cues on proper expression. Help your kids recognize what each punctuation mark sounds like when reading fluently.

Learn more: Teaching Expression in Fluency/The Owl Teacher

12. Answer the fluency phone

These are such a fun tool for helping kids really hear themselves read! They're great for busy classrooms and reading centers. Kids talk softly into the phone, and the sound is amplified in their ear. You can buy fluency phones or make them yourself from PVC pipe.

Learn more: Fluency To Improve Reading Comprehension/Mrs. Winter's Bliss

13. Read with partners

Whether kids are reading together or you pair an adult helper with a student, taking turns reading is a terrific way to get more fluent. When one reader is stronger, have them read the passage first and have the other reader echo it back.

Learn more: Ways To Improve Reading Fluency/The Measured Mom

14. Get a reading buddy

Shy kids will especially appreciate the chance to practice reading out loud to a stuffed animal pal. Encourage them to read as if their fuzzy friend can hear everything they're saying.

Learn more: Ways To Use Stuffed Animals in the Classroom/Stories by Storie

15. Give kids a reading fluency rubric

Use this free printable rubric when evaluating students' reading fluency, or send it home for parents. Kids can even use it to self-evaluate!

Learn more: Reading Fluency Is Not Just About Speed/Teacher Thrive

16. Use a fluency bookmark

A handy bookmark keeps fluency strategies front and center when kids read. We love this idea for kids who are ready for chapter books.

Learn more: Focusing on Fluency/Upper Elementary Snapshots

17. Introduce the concept of scooping phrases

Pointing to words is good for building speed and accuracy, but scooping phrases takes things to the next level. This practice is a great help for developing expression and comprehension.

Learn more: Reading Fluency Phrasing/This Reading Mama

18. Hold a school-wide fluency challenge

Make literacy and reading fluency something the whole school focuses on. Have PE teachers post sight words for kids to read out when they run past. Invite cafeteria workers to join you for story time. Track fluency and celebrate milestones with individual and whole-school rewards! Learn more about holding a school-wide fluency challenge here.

19. Set up buddy reading

Pair older students with younger students to practice and model reading fluency. Older students can read picture books, which have longer sentences and higher vocabulary that challenge older students but are still out of reach for younger students. The older students will get practice with fluency, and younger students will benefit from hearing picture books read aloud.

20. Use highlighter strips

Highlighter strips, bright tape-like strips that students can use to follow along as they read longer books, can help upper elementary students keep their place. And keeping their place helps them read fluently.

Buy it: Highlighter Strips at Amazon

21. Teach robot vs. non-robot reading

Help students understand the prosody or expression part of fluency with a lesson on robot reading vs. fluent reading. Have students practice (silly) robot reading and then fluent reading to hear (and feel) the difference.

Learn more: Arlene Neubarth/Pinterest

22. Put on a play

Readers theater, with a script or a favorite book, is one way to practice fluent reading. Choose a book with lots of dialogue and encourage students to really feel the story.

23. Use the BEST strategy for multisyllabic word reading

When students get to multisyllabic words, they may struggle to get past longer words like "momentarily" and "topography." Teach them a strategy to sound out longer words:

Break the word apart into syllables.

Examine each part.

Say each part.

Try the whole word.

24. Host a poetry jam

Poetry is a great way to practice fluent reading, and it can be used at any grade level. For younger kids, work with simple poems and rhymes. For older children, use poems from Shel Silverstein or Jack Pruletsky. Have each child choose a poem and practice reading it with flare, then host a poetry jam where students read the poems they've practiced.

Learn more: Poetry Cafe/School and the City

25. Record students' reading

Recording audiobooks for your classroom library is one way for students to see how fluent reading benefits everyone. Have students record reading a book on an audio recording app, and save it for other teachers to use with their students.

Learn more: Fluency Activities for Your First Grader/Reading Rockets

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25 Fantastic Reading Fluency Activities To Build Literacy in Young Readers

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Help kids improve their reading fluency with these fun activities and center ideas that cover a wide range of proven strategies.

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Say What is a crazy way to help children learn how the English language is structured. These kinds of Mad Libs games have been popular for decades, and now with this online style, children can create their own stories. They'll have to blindly chose from nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and much more. Learning about parts of speech in context is what makes online Mad Libs games so effective.

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Fill in the blanks ahead of time with parts of speech to complete the silly story.

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Decoding and Encoding

Once children learn some phoneme-grapheme correspondences, they can begin decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) words. The activities included in this section are designed to help children apply their phoneme-grapheme knowledge to decoding and/or encoding.

In addition to these activities, we have word lists and virtual word cards you can use for practice. You can also use the Phinder tool to generate your own words for practice.

To find out more about how children learn to read words, click here.

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Decoding and Encoding | UF Literacy Institute

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Once children learn some phoneme-grapheme correspondences, they can begin decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) words. The activities included in this section are designed to help children apply their phoneme-grapheme knowledge to decoding and/or encoding. In addition to these activities, we have word lists and virtual word cards you can use for practice.

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After identifying the linguistic demands of a learning standard, teachers will be empowered to design instructional scaffolds to address individual students’ needs by language modality and proficiency level. In addition to helping teachers to scaffold instruction for English Language Learners, the ALDs also present pragmatic tools that are useful for all Multilingual Learners, including those with disabilities, and all students working toward achieving grade-level learning targets. The ALDs can also serve as a framework for schools to develop their own English as a New Language and Home Language Arts curricula aligned to the ELA standards.

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Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity

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Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity

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Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity

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Welcome to the Companion WebsiteChapter 1Video 1.1: Why Culturally Responsive Teaching MattersChapter 2Video 2.1: What It Means to Value Diversity

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The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual.

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Lesson Resources

The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual. (Don't have a manual yet? Click here to order one) Every lesson has companion resources that will help you implement the lessons efficiently, effectively, and consistently.

Some of the companion lesson resources you will find below include:

Lesson slide decks (in PowerPoint and Google Slide formats)

Decodable passages

Homework sheets

Games and activities for additional practice

We have grouped the lessons into smaller units so you can access these resources more easily. Scroll down to use the buttons below to find the resources for each lesson or groups of lessons.

Please note that we are still building out these free resources, and we will be editing this page over the next few weeks. We wanted you to be able to access some materials as soon as possible, but be sure to come back later to see the rest!
New to UFLI Foundations? Learn about its development, check out a sample lesson plan, view the scope and sequence, and more.

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The UFLI Foundations Toolbox contains all the lesson resources to accompany the lesson plans provided in the UFLI Foundations manual. (Don't have a manual yet? Click here to order one) Every lesson has companion resources that will help you implement the lessons efficiently, effectively, and consistently.

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Lalilo is an online tool for K, 1st and 2nd grade teachers and students. The Lalilo website is accessible on tablets, iPads and computers. Lalilo works in school environments or at home.

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Lalilo by Renaissance | Practice and instruction on Foundational Literacy skills

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Sign up and invite parents remotely for home access to phonics and reading lessons.

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SIFE is defined as: "English Language Learners (ELLs) who have attended schools in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia) for less than twelve month and who, upon initial enrollment in such schools, are two or more years below grade level in literacy in their home language and/or two or more years below grade level in Math due to inconsistent or interrupted schooling prior to arrival in the United States.”

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Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE)

SIFE is defined as: "English Language Learners (ELLs) who have attended schools in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia) for less than twelve month and who, upon initial enrollment in such schools, are two or more years below grade level in literacy in their home language and/or two or more years below grade level in Math due to inconsistent or interrupted schooling prior to arrival in the United States."

*United States means 50 State + the District of Columbia

SIFE with Developing Literacy

SIFE with Developing Literacy or SDL, are a sub-group of SIFE with home language literacy at 3rd grade or below when entering a NYS secondary school. This is a distinct group of SIFE who have not yet developed foundational literacy in their home language.

NSYED and CUNY NYSIEB have partnered with Bridges to Academic Success to create a curriculum to meet the challenges of this specific group of students. Curriculum and supporting instructional videos linked below.

Multilingual Literacy SIFE Screener Updates

There are some exciting changes coming to the MLS! These updates are scheduled to go live on May 16, 2022.

The Spanish reading comprehension test, and math tests has been updated in 5 languages. These improvements will increase the range of possible grade placements (to K-9 for reading comprehension and 1-9 for math), provide more specific information about student performance as measured by NGLS standard in the PDF reports, and shorten average testing time.

There will be two virtual Multilingual SIFE screen training sessions for new users and current users who want to learn about the May 2022 updates. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.

Contact Us

For more information about SIFE identification, placement, and programming, please contact:

Professional Development Specialist

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Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE)

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SIFE is defined as: "English Language Learners (ELLs) who have attended schools in the United States (the 50 States and the District of Columbia) for less than twelve month and who, upon initial enrollment in such schools, are two or more years below grade level in literacy in their home language and/or two or more years below grade level in Math due to inconsistent or interrupted schooling prior to arrival in the United States."

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28K views · 182 reactions | Expert Minute Video featuring Dr. Anita Archer presenting an overview and the importance of explicit instruction. The MTSU Center for Dyslexia recently hosted Dr. Archer's workshop "The Magic is in the Instruction". | MTSU Center for Dyslexia

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Expert Minute Video featuring Dr. Anita Archer presenting an overview and the importance of explicit instruction. The MTSU Center for Dyslexia recently hosted Dr. Archer's workshop "The Magic is in...

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Structured literacy is a systematic and explicit approach to teaching oral and written language rooted in the Science of Reading.

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Students must successfully thread together eight discrete skills to grow into fluent, skilled readers. Should they experience weaknesses in one or more of them, they might have difficulty developing the decoding skills, vocabulary, and background to fully grasp what they’re reading.

Teachers can use the concept of Scarborough’s Reading Rope to pinpoint where students are struggling and target intervention accordingly.

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What is Scarborough’s Reading Rope? | Lexia

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Discover how Scarborough’s Reading Rope breaks down the essential literacy skills students need to develop reading fluency and comprehension.

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Learning ‘b’ and ‘d’ and Reading Short Vowel Words with Aiko, Second Grader

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Reading expert Linda Farrell: Mastering Reading Accuracy

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Video 34: Repeated Reading (REL Southeast)

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Meeting the Needs of El with and without Disabilities

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Meeting the Needs of El with and without Disabilities

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Dr. Anita Archer - Vocabulary Instruction

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List of Free Decodables

The short vowels skill explainer has everything you need to teach this, including lesson plans, student practice activities, and videos of great classroom instruction.

Review of All Patterns Previously Taught

One-Syllable Magic 'e' (also known as Silent 'e') Words

Related Content

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Reading Universe | Free Decodable Texts for Each Phonics Skill

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Decodable texts are simple passages or books made for beginning readers that offer practice with specific phonics patterns.

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138K views · 1.8K reactions | #Syllables #tptseller #kindergartenteacher #newteachers #forkids #scienceofreading #learning #phonics #writing #reading #spelling #homeschoollife #kindergartenready #kindergartenactivities #kinder | Mrs. Peters Class

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195K views · 2.9K reactions | Reading comprehension Story elements w/ imagery! They did so good!!!#reading #readingcomprehension #classroommanagement #sor #scienceofreading #teaching #readingclass #tutorial #teachingideas #teachingkids #kindergartenteacher #kindergarten #learningresources #tactilelearning #learntoread #readinglessons #readingteacher #earlylearning #earlyliteracy | Mrs. Peters Class

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Reading comprehension Story elements w/ imagery! They did so good!!!#reading #readingcomprehension #classroommanagement #sor #scienceofreading #teaching #readingclass #tutorial #teachingideas...

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TOWL-4

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Shawn Stockman on Instagram: "God bless this wonderful woman! Miss P, a kindergarten teacher who’s already proving it works—using unique techniques to teach her students the alphabet with energy and excitement. 🙌🏾

This is how we inspire future generations: by transforming classrooms into stages where creativity meets knowledge, and proving that Hip Hop isn’t just history—it’s the key to unlocking a brighter future. 🚀✨

🎥 @cool.missp 

#HipHop #ExplorePage #Dance #Graffiti #DJ #Education #YouthDevelopment #Children #Rap #Breakin #Museum #Music #Tourist #NewYork #TheHipHopMuseum"

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4,244 likes, 184 comments - shawnstockmanofficial on September 12, 2025: "God bless this wonderful woman! Miss P, a kindergarten teacher who’s already proving it works—using unique techniques to teach her students the alphabet with energy and excitement. 🙌🏾

This is how we inspire future generations: by transforming classrooms into stages where creativity meets knowledge, and proving that Hip Hop isn’t just history—it’s the key to unlocking a brighter future. 🚀✨

🎥 @cool.missp 

#HipHop #ExplorePage #Dance #Graffiti #DJ #Education #YouthDevelopment #Children #Rap #Breakin #Museum #Music #Tourist #NewYork #TheHipHopMuseum". 

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