Literacy for English Language Learners

Rebeca Arndt
Saint Mary University of Minnesota

Abstract

This paper attempts to offer an insight into the layers of academic literacy for English Language
Learners in Unites States. It also undertake into illustrating what English language Learners as
well as their trajectory within the classroom, on their path to learning and their immense work
the ELLs do in working to fill in the language gap they are experiencing.
The warrants presented in this paper draw on empirical connections to student academic
Learning and literacy, theoretical relationships to student understanding in the classroom, and
normative claims about effective instructional practices culled from literature, as well as lesson
plans designed, and adapted to improve the ELLs literacy skills.
Since the equity of blending harmoniously the interactive instructional strategies with explicit
teaching of literacy skills, including word recognition and comprehension strategies, through
techniques of modeling and explicit teaching is vital to the varying literacy needs of the students,
the last part of the paper will display lesson plans individually designed to meet the students
needs. This lesson will aid students to develop their literary skills thought grammar, words study
and phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

Academic Literacy it is much more than reading comprehension and decoding because the
language associated with academic learning traditionally codes knowledge in different ways
than everyday use of language. This new coding is linguistically unfamiliar to many students, not
only English language Learners.

The academic language makes it possible to express concepts that are more complex by
gradually increasing the degree of abstraction. The development of literacy within any subject in
the school curriculum involves learning to control new language as well as being able to express
more concisely and precisely complex ideas and concepts embedded in the content of a subject,
which are essential for learning in that subject area.

Aside obvious specialist vocabulary and grammatical pattern evident enclosed, academic literacy
also refers to different types of genres and generic structures, specifically to certain subjects.
Each discipline construct different discussions according to their own patterns therefore it is
required to possess very different literacy skills including the reading of various texts while
employing distinctive text structures, presentation format, peculiar ways of organizing language
as well as different standards of evidence.
Obviously, this distinction expands into the spoken language as well since the content standards
used in United States demands that students know how to think, read, write and speak
proficiently using the academic vocabulary of the specific content area they are working with per
grade level.
Essentially for subject literacy are able to understand the main ideas of the discipline are grouped
and assessed as well as thinking and reasoning in subject specific ways.

Developing all this academic literacies in all the subjects means developing mainly spoken and
written literacy, mostly written since academic language tends to be more abstract and less
personal, more lexically dense and encompassing a wide variety of structures that learners do not
use in their everyday life.

English Language Learners are students with very diverse linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic and according to Meltzer and Hamman (2005). students who come to school with a
first language other than English and whose opportunities to fully develop English literacy to
grade level have not yet been fully realized (p.5).
Most educationally disadvantaged English Language Learners are those for whom English is not
their first language but , who having been born in the host country, did not developed literacy
skills or high-level language skills in their first language either.

There is a conspicuous increment of diversity in American public schools today. According to the
National Center for Educational Statistics in 2003, 42 percent of American public school children
were of racial or minorities, up 22 percent from 30 years before. Most of this increase in
diversity was due to immigration from Latin America and Asia, and with this increase in ethnic
diversity came a corresponding increase in linguistic diversity.
In 2011 National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition released state level date which
states that in the U.S. school enrollment of students considered to be English language learners
(ELLs) increased by approximately 50%, from 3.5 million students in 19981999 to more than 5
million in 20082009. The number of ELLs enrolling in public schools is exponentially
increasing throughout the United States and as Reeeves, (2009) states, even in regions that

traditionally have not been accustomed to linguistic and cultural diversity because policy
change without is an exercise in futility and frustration (p.37).
As the ELL student population is augmenting swiftly, ELL achievement gaps in academic
subjects remain when measuring in terms of factors such as secondary school completion rates it
has been suggested by Abedi J., 2005 that ELL students , relative to their non-ELL counterparts,
are not performing as well academically, which has implications for their further
success( p.175)

Ells in Content classroom

A partnership between the classroom teacher or subject teacher and the bilingual and specific
language teacher is the key to success for improving the language skills of EL Learners
especially since the English language learners are expected to compete with their native Englishspeaking peers.
Discipline literacy is not only based on the premise that students develop deep conceptual
knowledge in a discipline only by using habits of reading, writing, talking and thinking which
what discipline values and used(pg.8), as McConachie et al. (2006) accentuates, yet
encompasses the cognitive literacy process of making meaning in the specific discipline,
therefore teachers must focus on both content and process.
Essential for English language learners is effective instruction in language development when
students receive explicit instruction in English vocabulary together with as many opportunities as
possible to hear and speak the language throughout the day.

Research on effective teaching practices and vocabulary acquisition made in the last 20 years
such as Hinkel (2006), Nation (2005), Sokmen (1997) as well as Hu and Nation (2000) argue
that a successful vocabulary development program should incorporate intentional word selection
or presentations of thematic vocabulary, where students make associations between words, and
scaffold techniques used for students learning. Direct instruction in word meaning and in
strategies used to learn new words including reading- aloud while explaining the target
vocabulary enhance word learning therefore it should be used as a technique with the ELL
students while modeling strategies and processes for learning new words, offering the students
multiple exposures to new words and opportunities to use new words including dramatic play
organized around a carefully chosen theme as Barone and Xu (2008) and Tabors (2008) suggests.
It is beneficial for teachers to make use of some sort of a system to help track new vocabulary
while offering support in developing self-directed activities that allow ELLs to choose activities
that match both their interests and their language abilities provide another opportunity (Bruce
and Watkins, 1995).
The most effective teaching begins with the strengths and needs of the specific students you
teach. As the students competencies are assessed, specific lessons that are needed are chosen to
reinforce and expand skills and strategies. Fundamental components for adequate language
instruction for English language learners includes teaching explicitly concepts and vocabulary,
teaching phonics and study words, reading appropriate text where for achieving fluency and
comprehension while their competencies and skills are involved in order for the students to
become increasingly independent and skillful.

Phonics instruction refers to various approaches created to teach students orthographic code of
language and the relationships of spelling templates to sound templates.
This specific phonics instruction, which can be either direct or imbedded in the student readings,
helps students understand the relationships between letters and sounds and focuses on the
manipulation of phonemes by training one or two skills at the time. The sounds of the oral
language are related in both simple and complex ways to the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
Focusing from the simple relationship between the letters representing one sound to more
complex relationships, where up to five letters represent one single sound, phonics instruction
will analyze consonants, blends, vowel patterns, digraphs, and diphthongs.
Phonics instruction is most effective taught in small groups to enhance attention, enabling social
motivation to achieve as well as offering observational learning opportunities.
Phonics tasks are organized from easy to difficult, based on findings of Foorman, Francis, D.J.,
Fletcher, Schatschneider, Mehta, from 1998, who agree on utilizing a specific order of how
phonics unfolds: first-sound comparison, identifying the names of pictures beginning with the
same sound, blending onset-rime units into real words, blending phonemes into real words,
deleting a phoneme and saying the word that remains, segmenting words into phonemes, and
blending phonemes into words.

Another important component of instructing ELLs is integrating Word Structure principles into
the lesson. Phonics and word study can be related to word structure including plurals,
possessives, contractions, compound words, prefixes and suffixes, and roots. Basic principles are
taught by modeling, encouraging students to notice patterns and apply them, and providing
effective strategies for reading and writing.

Since research clearly suggests that the lack of adequate vocabulary is one barrier to reading for
English Language Learners, work with Vocabulary and Word Relationships using model
implemented by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan; Hu and Nation; Nation can have spectacular
results. This specific model intends to address the formation and expansion of word categories,
identifying and using synonyms and antonyms, using context clues to understand unfamiliar
words, choosing appropriate, descriptive words that best suit the text. It also refers to
understanding of the different meanings of words that look and/or sound alike and those with
multiple meanings as well as how to use reference sources, including a dictionary and thesaurus,
locate word meanings as well the use of a system to help track the new vocabulary.

Fluency is strongly related to the comprehension of texts. When students read in word groups or
phrases, they are attending to the meaningful units of language. Students also need to learn how
to use their voices to interpret the authors intended meaning. When students read with
expression, they are showing that they understand the meaning of the text. Lastly, when students
read at a good rate, they are more likely to read with phrasing and to process the language with
understanding. You will find lessons to support phrasing, fluency, and expressive reading at an
appropriate rate across all stages. Strategies include focusing on sentence structure, punctuation,
dialogue, tone, pitch, and volume.

Comprehension
There are many skills that are important for students to have and use if they are to become
effective readers. Readers must utilize a variety of strategic actions such as making predictions,
noticing when the text is not making sense (monitoring understanding), and using the authors
words to create pictures in the mind (visualizing). Students also should relate the content of the
text to their own lives, to other books, and to their own knowledge. Students need to be able to
pull together the information they understand, attend to the important ideas and details, and
identify and understand causes and their effects. They will also need to be able to distinguish fact
from opinion, read with accurate understanding, and use information from the text to draw
logical conclusions. They should learn to think about what the author has implied, not just what
the author has stated, and to compare and contrast. Students will also need to think about the
authors purpose in communicating the information, and to attend to the methods an author uses
to make his or her writing convincing. The lessons in this strand are designed to help your
students hone their reading skills. By providing authentic sample passages and instruction that
includes students in the thinking process, the lessons will help move them toward becoming
more thoughtful, active readers. Different texts place different demands on reader by attending to
critical aspects of various texts from genres such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama by
making meaning of the text, not simply the area identified in the lesson.

I.

Phonics and Word Study

Example of lesson
LESSON 1: Consonants

Objectives
Understand the connection between sounds and their corresponding consonant letters at the
beginning, middle, and end of words
Become familiar with consonant sounds by listening to and reading alliterative text

a.

Teach

Prepare visual 1A to display. visual 1A to display.

Copy visual 1A for each student.

Help students understand letter-sound relationships for beginning, middle, and end consonants.
Write the following tongue twister on the board or on chart paper: Petes happy, perky puppy
pounced on Pats lap and tipped a cup of pop with its paws.

Read the text again and have students identify the repeated letter p and a few words that begin
with it. Frame the words they find, such as Petes, perky, pounced, and paws

Circle the letter p. Help connect the sound to the letter at the beginning of each word by having
students repeat the word.

Call attention to the end p in lap and have students find and frame additional words that have the
p sound at the end, circling the letter p in each word. (cup, pop)

Then say the word happy and help students identify the middle sound of p. Have volunteers
frame additional words that have the p sound in the middle.

Circle the letter p and have students repeat each word.

Point out the letters pp in the middle of happy and puppy.

Explain that the middle consonant sound in some words is spelled with a double letter.

Give each student a copy of visual 1A.

Have students write p in the blank at the top of the page. Say each word that was framed from
the tongue twister.

Have students repeat the word, listening for the sound of p.

Then have them write the word in the correct column on their chart. Point out that the p sound
occurs more than once in some words; students will need to write those words in the column that
corresponds to each /p/.

Continue this process with the group, eliciting responses and providing direction, as needed.

Visual A-1A can be used in a similar way with any consonant sound you want to have students
practice.

Refer to the word lists for ideas. (See Teacher Support.)

A-1A

Letter _________________

Beginning

Middle

Ending

Name_________________________
Date_________________________

b. Practice

Write another tongue twister on the board. For example, you might use: Nan will join another
runner on a sunny day near the ninth of November.

Have students identify the repeated sound and circle the words with that sound.

Give each student a copy of visual 1A and have them write each circled word where it belongs
on the chart.

c.

Quick Assess

Note whether students can identify a given consonant sound at the beginning, middle, or end of a
word.

As students complete the Practice activity, note their ability to sort words by recognizing a
specific consonant sound as a beginning, ending, or middle sound.

Connect to Reading: Have students read Friends Online reader and use what they know about
consonant sounds to help them figure out unfamiliar words such as swim and pole.

d. Consonants Teacher Support

Here are examples of words with beginning, middle, and ending consonants
Word lists

Beggining
Bed
Basket
Boot
Cat
Candy
Could
Dog
Damp
Down
Fish
Funny
Father
Game
Gone
Get
Hat
Help
High
Jet
Jungle
Jelly
Kangaroo
lunch

e.

Middle
Baby
Lumber
Bubble
Picture
Fact
Because
Body
Sudden
Sniffle
Raft
Figure
Enjoy
Major
Baker
Market
Darken
Color
Jolly
Melt
Camel
Jump
Famous
Dinner

Ending
Tub
Job
Crab
Music
Attic
Hectic
Red
Food
Read
Leaf
Shelf
Bag
Rug
Fog
Book
Peak
Speak
Pail
Wall
seal
Room
ham
steam

Differentiated Instruction
Sounds Bingo

Use visual A-1B to make a set of bingo cards. Give each student a card and a set of markers. Tell
students to write a different consonant in each space.

Then tell students that they should listen for the consonant sound at the beginning of the words.
Name words, one at a time, and have students use a marker to cover the letter that corresponds to

the consonant sound heard at the beginning of the word. If you hear the word butter, any student
with a b on his card would cover the square. A bingocan be made either horizontally, vertically
or diagonally.

A-1B

Name___________________________________
Date_____________________________________

II.

Vocabulary

Example of lesson
LESSON 1: Classification

Objectives Classify group names of things according to common characteristics

Discover how putting things in groups can help answer questions

a. Teach

Prepare visuals B-1A and B-1B to visuals B-1A and B-1B to display. Copy visual B2, TwoColumn visual B2, Two-Column Chart, for each student. Chart, for each student. Help students
understand that classifying is grouping together things that are alike in some way.

Display visual B-1A. Read the text aloud.

Ask: What do you think made Andrew sneeze or not sneeze? (different animals) Lets figure out
which animals made Andrew sneeze and which did not.

Display visual B-1B. Ask volunteers to help you fill in the animals named in the story in the
Animals column.

Read each animals name and ask students to tell you which animals made Andrew sneeze. Put a
check next to each of these animals in the Sneezed column. Add checks in the Didnt Sneeze
column in the same way.

Draw a two-column chart on the board or on chart paper. Write the heading Made Andrew
Sneeze at the top of the left-hand column. Review the completed visual B-1B and guide students
to list cat, dog, hamster, and guinea pig.

Write the heading Andrew Didnt Sneeze at the top of the right-hand column. Review again, and
have students list parrot, goldfish, and chameleon.

Ask: How are the animals that made Andrew sneeze all alike? Help students conclude that the
animals all have fur. How are the other animals alike? (They do not have fur.) Say: So grouping
the animals helped us find the answer. Andrew sneezed because he is allergic to fur.

Point out that putting the animals into two groups makes it easy to see which animals made
Andrew sneeze and which animals had no effect on him.

B1A
Andrew and Pet Day

Andrew loved working with animals at the pet store. Every Friday was Pet Day at Andrews job.
When Samantha brought in her cat, Andrew said,
AHH-CHOO!
When Rodney brought in his dog, Andrew said,
AHH-CHOO!
When Caitlin brought in her parrot, Andrew smiled.
When Alex brought in his hamster, Andrew said,
AHH-CHOO!
When Patricia brought in her guinea pig, Andrew said
AHH-CHOO!
When Arnold brought in his goldfish, Andrew smiled.
Then Andrew brought in his chameleon. And Andrew smiled.

Name_______________________ date___________________________

Comparison chart
B-1B

Animals

Sneezed

Didnt sneezed

Name________________________________ Date_______________________________

b. Practice

Provide students with copies of visual C-1, Two-Column Chart.

Brainstorm together types of animals and write students ideas on the board.

Work with students to figure out other ways of grouping information about the animals.

For example, students may want to group the animals according to whether they are water pets or
land pets.

Have students write a heading at the top of each column and categorize animals accordingly.

C1

c.

Quick Assess

Read each of the following groups of words aloud and ask students to tell you which one does
not belong in the group: orange, apple, notebook, banana (notebook); coat, jacket, sweater, boots
(boots); car, chair, table, bed (car).

Connect to Reading Have students read Salamanders and Alligators. Then have them make
categories for types of food for salamanders and alligators.

d. Resources. Teacher Support

Classifying is a basic thinking skill that underlies many others, such as analogies, comparing and
contrasting, outlining, summarizing, and generalizing, to name a few. It is a necessary skill in
virtually every subject area, including math, science, social studies, and reading.

Classifying uses prior knowledge in a unique way.

Things to Classify Students learn to classify best with concrete objects that are within their
experience. Possibilities include:
Sports

counters

Flowers

fruits

clothes

vegetables

colors

furniture

tools

books

animals

transportation

e. Differentiated Instruction

Extra Support Our Favorite Things Discuss with students why people often put things in
groups per how they are alike. Talk about the reason for grouping similar things in grocery stores
and supermarkets, or department stores. Then have students begin a project to discover what
their favorite things have in common. Ask students to begin by drawing pictures of some of their
favorite things on separate sheets of drawing paper. When students have finished drawing, invite
them to share their pictures. As they do so, list their choices on the board or on chart paper. Then
challenge them to figure out the ways in which they can classify the items on the list. Allow them
to name their own categories. Then have students take turns classifying each favorite item on
their list under the correct category.