For Other Professionals
Reading to Learn: ELLs in Grades 4-6
Many students encounter difficulty as they transition from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" in fourth grade, and this difficulty can be even more pronounced for English language learners. Featuring Dr. Nonie Lesaux, this webcast explores effective strategies for instruction and assessment that can help teachers support their ELL students.
This free webcast is available online anytime.
It is made possible by AFT Teachers, a division of the American Federation of Teachers, as part of a Colorín Colorado partnership between AFT and Reading Rockets.
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Program description
Many students encounter difficulty as they transition from "learning to read" to "reading to learn" in fourth grade, and this difficulty can be even more pronounced for English language learners. Why do so many students experience what is often referred to as the "fourth grade slump"? What can teachers do to make the transition into the upper elementary grades less difficult, especially for their ELLs? This webcast explores effective strategies for instruction and assessment that can help teachers address these important questions.
Presenters
Nonie K. Lesaux is Assistant Professor, Human Development and Psychology, at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses primarily on the reading development and difficulties of children from language minority backgrounds. Lesaux is currently Principal Investigator (NICHD funded) of a study that focuses on the development of reading comprehension skills for Spanish-speakers developing literacy skills in English. Lesaux was Senior Research Associate for the National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Youth, a panel that conducted a comprehensive, evidence-based review of the research on the development of literacy among language minority learners, and is a contributing author to three chapters in that report.
Moderator
Delia Pompa is the moderator of this webcast. She is the Vice President of the Center for Community Educational Excellence, at the National Council of La Raza.
Recommended resources
- Vocabulary Knowledge and Reading Comprehension in English Language Learners: Final Performance Report (597K PDF)*
by Barry McLaughlin, Diane August, and Catherine Snow (ERIC) - Depth and Breadth of Vocabulary in Two Languages: Which Vocabulary Skills Transfer?
by Claudia Ordoñez, Maria Carlo, Catherine Snow, and Barry McLaughlin (ERIC) - Native Spanish-Speaking Children Reading in English: Toward a Model of Comprehension
by Proctor, María Carlo, Diane August & Catherine Snow (ERIC) - Teaching Reading Strategies to English Language Learners (227K PDF)*
by Christopher Jenks (ERIC) - Investigating Cognitive and Linguistic Abilities That Influence the Reading Comprehension Skills of Children From Diverse Linguistic Backgrounds (272K PDF)*
by Nonie Lesaux, Orly Lipka and Linda Siegel (Springerlink) - English Language Learners and the Five Essential Components of Reading Instruction
by Beth Atunez (Colorín Colorado) - Vocabulary Improvement and Reading in English Language Learners: An Intervention Study (518K PDF)*
by Barry McLaughlin, Diane August, Catherine Snow, Maria Carlo, Cheryl Dressler, Claire White, Teresa Lively, and David Lipman (ERIC) - Reading Comprehension Interventions that Enhance Outcomes for English Language Learners with LD (31K PDF)*
by Sharon Vaughn and Diane Pedrotty Bryant (ERIC) - Children Teaching for Learning: What Happens When Children Teach Others in the Classroom? (313K PDF)*
by Laurel D. Puchner (ERIC) - Poor Children's Fourth-Grade Slump, by Jeanne S. Chall and Vicki A. Jacobs (AFT).
Related links
Related products from LearningStore
Vocabulary Improvement Program for English Language Learners and Their Classmates
Now teachers can give fourth, fifth, and sixth graders the crucial vocabulary practice they need with this three-volume curriculum — proven equally effective for English language learners (ELLs) and students whose first language is English.
learn more >>
Ten Languages You'll Need Most in the Classroom
Breakthrough language barriers and put English language learners at ease in your classroom. Help ensure that ELLs successfully transition into the school community and participate fully in the classroom learning environment.
learn more >>
Launching Young Readers: Becoming Bilingual
For a teacher who speaks only English, having students who speak another language can be a daunting prospect. How do teachers teach English language learners (ELLs) to read in a new language?
learn more >>
Please visit our English language learners/Bilingual section of LearningStore to discover the best research-based practices for teaching ELLs.
Discussion questions
- What do we mean when we say that good comprehension instruction takes place before, during, and after reading?
- What are some examples of the academic language that students need to know in your subject area/grade level?
- Describe some effective strategies that you have used to help your ELL students learn vocabulary.
- Create a graphic organizer that could be used in your class, and explain why it would be effective with ELL students.
- As you begin a new lesson or unit in your class, what method(s) might you use to preview difficult vocabulary or concepts with your ELLs?
The Reading Rockets Professional Development Webcast Series is a production of WETA. The Reading Rockets project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
This program was produced by WETA/Reading Rockets, which is solely responsible for its content. The views expressed in the program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of WETA/Reading Rockets, our funders, or our partners.
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