Author: jechevarria

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Advocating for Long-Term English Learners

Rosendo eagerly began kindergarten but since he spoke little English, it was difficult to understand his teacher most of the time. He liked ESL time because the teacher showed visuals with written words and gave his small group lots of opportunities to practice using the words. In class he tried hard to complete his work, but he wasn’t able to make the same academic progress that most of his classmates did by the end of the year, especially in reading since the sounds were new to him and the words didn’t make sense. Rosendo’s struggle continued for the next few years. He wanted to do well and please his teachers but had difficulty making meaning of printed words, and the explanations the teacher gave to the class were unclear. Although his teachers were nice, he often felt invisible. By fourth grade he could converse well in English with his teacher and peers but understanding and completing academic work remained a challenge. 

It has been estimated that between one-quarter and one-half of all students who enter elementary school as English learners like Rosendo become long-term English learners, or LTELs. LTELS are considered those who after five years haven’t yet been able to demonstrate adequate proficiency in English to meet established English language proficiency criteria and to be considered fluent English proficient.  

As more schools return to face-to-face instruction, it seems like an opportune time to re-focus on supporting EL students in gaining proficiency in English, especially those students who are LTELs.

A common perception is that children who fall behind simply “need more time” to learn English, but what they actually need is daily engagement in meaningful listening and speaking activities along with scaffolded reading and writing experiences, those that allow EL students to successfully learn literacy skills and build and expand those skills over time. Multiple daily opportunities to develop both social and academic language and use it to express themselves orally and in writing are essential. 

So, the bedrock of advocating for LTELs is to provide them with consistent, high-quality instruction, teaching that is meaningful and relevant and that capitalizes on the assets English learners bring to the classroom.  

High-quality instruction for LTELs (and other English learners) begins with using research-validated instruction such as the SIOP Model, an approach for making instruction comprehensible while at the same time advancing students’ English language proficiency. SIOP classes are student-centered and welcoming where English learners have opportunities to use language in authentic ways, collaborating with peers around concepts and information, practicing and applying the material to meet the lesson’s objectives.  SIOP provides teachers with a coherent approach for planning and delivering relevant, meaningful lessons that provide ample opportunities for students to interact with one around content concepts aligned to state and national standards. While doing so, students’ develop academic English skills across the four domains–reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

SIOP ensures that grade-level content is accessible and provides opportunities for students to use language in authentic ways. High quality content instruction coupled with a specific time of daily, focused English language development (ELD) is a combination that is sure to offer ELs the best support for gaining proficiency in English.

The proportion of English learners who become LTEL students is concerning. It is a complex issue with any number of contributing factors such as absenteeism and transiency. However, schools can do a lot to reduce the numbers of LTELs.

When discussing EL services, it’s important to keep in mind that English learners are entitled to language support services until they are sufficiently proficient in English to be successful in general education without such supports. These necessary – and legally required – services provide equity of access to schooling for those students who are still in the process of learning English.

Unfortunately, many LTEL students languish for years in EL programs without making sufficient progress towards English proficiency. The solution is not lowering the bar for exiting programs but improving the quality of instruction these students receive and focusing on the areas where growth is needed. After all, EL services are a scaffold, or support, that is in place until students have acquired the language and literacy skills to be successful academically after exiting the program. The goal is acquisition of language and literacy skills, not simply exiting the program.

In some cases, English learners are isolated from English-speaking students in separate classes and don’t receive sufficient exposure to grade-level, rigorous instruction that is scaffolded for them. This linguistic isolation also deprives English learners of opportunities to learn and use higher levels of English.

Even with appropriate classes, SIOP teaching, and ELD, there may be issues that hold students back from reaching proficiency and exiting EL programs. The following suggestions assume English learners already have been provided high-quality instruction.

  1. Implement a school-wide approach. Everyone benefits when students make academic progress. However, too often school personnel view English learners as the responsibility of an EL coordinator or similar staff person. Especially in schools with large numbers of ELs, a team effort will more likely increase the number of ELs who reach proficiency and are ready to exit EL programs. School staff should:
    • Meet with each English learner from 4thgrade on to discuss the areas they need to improve, i.e., speaking, listening, reading and/or writing. Be transparent about assessment results and set goals for improvement in the area(s) of need. These meetings should probably take place more than once a year to keep students and school personnel focused on their set goals.
    • Design an efficient system for data collection and reporting. Ask a group of principals how many students exited their school’s EL program the previous year and likely few could answer accurately, probably because they depend on their EL coordinators to check on English learners’ progress. Every district has established criteria for exiting EL programs such as cut scores to define proficiency on state language proficiency assessments, demonstration of “basic skills,” teacher recommendation and so forth. School staff, led by the principal, should be proactive in analyzing each English learner’s progress toward meeting these criteria and a system should be in place for doing so: Who monitors progress toward exit criteria? What happens when some English learners are close to meeting exit criteria? (Hint: The students’ teachers are informed and instruction then is focused on targeted areas.) Who gathers the paperwork and submits it to the district? Lost paperwork or lax procedures are not valid excuses for keeping students in EL programs when they are ready to exit.
  2. Enlist teachers. Teachers need to be knowledgeable about their EL students’ levels of proficiency in each of the domains of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Assessment results are used to create an instructional profile for each student so teachers can more easily focus on areas targeted for growth for each student. For example, many LTELs like Rosendo have solid listening and speaking skills but fall short in reading and writing. Rather than spending lots of time on “turn and talk” type activities, teachers should focus on literacy skills by providing lots of opportunities for ELs to read (with scaffolds, independently, with a partner and with the teacher), talk about what they’ve read, write a response, reaction or summary, then share it with a peer. Interesting discussions around text coupled with writing activities will advance students’ proficiency in all domains.  Conversely, some language assessment tests have a speaking component whose format makes it difficult for English learners to display their speaking abilities accurately. Many students become inhibited when asked to speak into a computer or microphone or to construct their oral response in a particular way. Provide practice in speaking in the ways required on the assessment, e.g., speaking clearly into a computer, projecting their voice, and using the response format required on the test.
  3. Involve students. LTEL students have taken a language proficiency assessment every year since they entered U.S. schools. Some students become weary of taking the same test with the same results. Most have no idea how they performed on the assessment, only that they remain an EL student. There is value in getting buy-in from students and a good motivator is choice: secondary students in EL programs have limited electives because they take ELD for one or two periods. Be explicit with students that if they will double down on their effort in the classroom and during ELD they will likely perform better on the next assessment. Further, encourage students to:
    • Give their best effort on the test. Let them know that every answer counts.
    • Come prepared by getting a good night’s sleep the night before test day and eating breakfast on the day of the test. Most students (English learner or not) aren’t aware of the impact of sleep and nutrition on performance.
  4. Enlist parents’ help. This valuable resource is often overlooked, and research shows that when EL parents are asked to assist with school work, they do. Ask parents to:
    • Help with the student’s target areas by supervising their work. For example, if reading goals are set, ask parents to make sure their student reads at home each day. Teachers may design an accountability system for reporting work done at home.
    • Make sure their student attends school on testing day, is on time, and well rested.
    • Encourage the student to do their best on the test and take it seriously.

When English learners aren’t making adequate progress academically, the first step is to examine classroom instruction and determine if it offers the supports needed for attaining English proficiency. 

Next, consider the four suggestions offered to improve English learners’ performance on exit criteria measures.

With growing numbers of LTELs nationwide, it’s important to advocate for our English learners with an “all hands on deck” approach, supporting each one in reaching English proficiency and overall academic success.

(A version of this post appeared on January 10, 2019)

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Achieving Equity for English Learners with SIOP

My district has supposedly been told by our State Department of Education that the SIOP English language development (ELD) class is a violation of students’ civil rights. Since then, we have had many English learners NOT graduate or they have to come back for a 5th year since they lacked English Language Arts (ELA) credit. Can someone illuminate this issue for me?

Recently I have received a couple of questions similar to this one, so I thought it was important to take this opportunity to clarity some misperceptions and misinformation that is floating around. This question, and others like it, reflects two issues: 1) How SIOP is used in schools and 2) How credit toward graduation requirements is assigned in high schools. 

First, the SIOP Model is not an educational program, per se. It is a proven approach for teaching English learners (ELs) in a variety of settings. SIOP classes offer EL students opportunities to use language in authentic ways, collaborating with peers around grade-level concepts and information, practicing and applying the material to meet the lesson’s objectives. SIOP provides teachers with a coherent approach for planning and delivering relevant, meaningful lessons that provide ample opportunities for students to interact with one another around content concepts aligned to state and national standards. While doing so, students develop academic English skills across the four domains – reading, writing, listening, and speaking. A fundamental aspect of SIOP teaching is to make lessons culturally relevant by integrating students’ background experiences, language, and culture into lessons.

The very essence of SIOP is to offer English learners equitable access to the same curriculum and instruction as English-speaking students. Application of SIOP teaching includes:

  • Sheltered instruction classes. SIOP is used in classrooms of all grade levels and across all content areas. Some secondary schools offer sheltered classes for English learners such as sheltered biology and sheltered social studies. In elementary schools, especially those with large numbers of ELs, sheltered teaching is a part of daily instruction. Research has shown that all students benefit from the strategies and techniques used in SIOP teaching such as posting and reviewing content and language objectives, explicitly teaching vocabulary, using visuals, providing hands-on learning and opportunities to practice and apply new concepts and vocabulary, and so forth. Research studies on the effectiveness of SIOP demonstrate that student achievement in both acquisition of content and language outpaced that of students in control (non-SIOP) classes. 
  • ESL/ELD classes. English learners receive a dedicated instructional period where the focus is on English language learning using content-based curricula. SIOP teaching can be used during ESL/ELD. 
  • Newcomer programs. Students who are recent arrivals to U.S. schools require specialized instruction that addresses issues such as orientation to the ways of American schools, interrupted education, and limited formal literacy experiences. These students require intensive language learning beginning with social English in low-risk situations and vocabulary building. SIOP teaching makes lessons comprehensible for these students.

In these three language support programs, the goal is to move English learners through ELP levels so they eventually exit ELD, and to progress through sheltered instruction classes to general education content courses.

  • Dual language programs. SIOP can be part of dual language programs when students are studying content through their new language. For example, in a dual language program with English-speakers learning Mandarin and Mandarin speakers learning English, SIOP teaching makes the content understandable for each group of students. 
  • General education courses. Teachers can also continue to use SIOP, or some features of SIOP, as needed by the English learners in their classes. 

Although the SIOP Model has eight components, it is not a step-by-step approach. Rather, it is an integrated system for lesson planning and teaching that ensures that critical features of instruction in combination are present in every lesson. Furthermore, it allows for natural variation in teaching styles and lesson delivery because the SIOP Model is curriculum- and materials-neutral. It has been successfully adapted for use in a variety of settings and cultural contexts worldwide.

Equity and SIOP

The question of equity and SIOP is perhaps rooted in confusion about the federal guidelines. In our work with districts for the Department of Justice, investigations into possible abuses of English learner civil rights vis-a-vis education, it is clear that SIOP is an acceptable model for ELD and for content courses. However, an issue arises if students are in ELD classes exclusively all their time in the EL program and never in regular ELA or supported ELA, such as co-taught ELA. DOJ would suggest that ELP Level 4 students receive general education ELA with supports. Concerns around students’ civil rights are likely based on these programmatic decisions.

The issue is linguistic isolation, not SIOP implementation. Equitable means giving EL students the resources they need to reach parity, and sheltered courses using the SIOP Model is one resource among several to support students in reaching parity. 

The second part of the teacher’s question is about credit toward high school graduation. In some states a sheltered ELA course or ELD course might qualify for core ELA credit because it meets the standards; in others it might not. At this time there isn’t a uniform policy regarding how credit is assigned for English learner classes. 

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5 Considerations for Maximizing English Learners’ Language Acquisition

The pandemic has been challenging for all of us — teachers, parents and students. Many English learners, however, are being disproportionately challenged by current modes of service delivery, because of inequitable learning opportunities created by the digital divide. 

Even for those students who have adequate devices to use for learning and have sufficient internet connectivity, one reality of the pandemic is reduced instructional time whether it is face-to-face, online, or a hybrid approach. The time that English learners have with teachers should be spent using practices that are most effective in building their English language proficiency so that they can better access grade-level materials and instruction, thus enabling them to participate more fully in class. 

Now seems to be a good time to review some of the factors that affect second language acquisition since instructional time is at a premium. In this post, 5 factors from our book, Sheltered Content Instruction, will be discussed along with ideas for enhancing language acquisition. 

First, it is important to remember that:

  • Language represents only one aspect of an individual. Focus on teaching the whole child rather than viewing language as the only aspect that needs support. 
  • English learners have language differences, not deficits. Build on the assets students bring from their home language. 
  • Second language acquisition is a complex process. There are many factors that influence why some students seem to learn English more quickly than others and this can’t be explained by a single factor.

1. Motivation                                                                                                                         

Recognizing the need to learn the second language and being motivated to do so are key ingredients for second-language learning. Research indicates that some students are motivated to integrate into another language group while others are motivated to learn a new language for practical reasons such as finding a job or passing a test. The latter type of motivation is not as effective in mastering a second language since it tends to involve short-term goals. The desire to integrate into a group increases the likelihood of becoming proficient in the second language because it involves developing personal relationships that are potentially long lasting.

Another way to look at motivation is to think of “investment” as a way to depict the relationship between the learner and the target language (e.g., English). Sometimes a learner may be highly motivated to learn English but may nevertheless have little investment in the language practices of a given classroom. The classroom environment may not be supportive and inclusive, and the student may perceive an uneven balance of power between English speakers and English learners. The resistance to being part of that type of class impacts the student’s language learning. 

To enhance language acquisition:

  • Examine your own practices and attitudes to ensure that English learners are treated equitably and are regarded as valued members of the class. 
  • Encourage English learners to develop relationships with English-speaking students by assigning shared responsibilities, having students work collaboratively on assignments, and assign activities that promote getting to know one another.  This can be done with remote teaching as well as face-to-face.
  • Become familiar with and acknowledge each student’s social/cultural identity. Recognizing a student’s social/cultural identity makes a meaningful connection between a learner’s desire to learn a language and maintaining their own identity.    
  • Particularly with older learners, be aware of teacher behaviors that may create anxiety, frustration or embarrassment, emotions which can hamper learning. 
  • Remember without the contextual clues that occur naturally in face-to-face teaching such as teacher facial expression and pointing, English learners in online teaching settings may be less motivated to participate. To the extent possible, be expressive, use bitmojis to convey an idea, and use other visuals to maintain motivation.                                                                                                                                 

 2. Personality                                                                                                            

Extroverts tend to prefer the social aspects of relationships such as talking, playing, and working in collaborative groups so they have increased opportunities for interaction and practice using English. As a result, they develop social language quickly. Introverts, those quiet or shy students, are temperamentally prone to be reflective and prefer working alone or with a partner rather than in a large group. Therefore, teachers shouldn’t, for example, urge introverted students to speak up in front of the whole class or encourage them to be “more outgoing.” With respect to temperament, there is a saying that extroverts conspire to convert introverts to be like them. Most introverts learn that there are times they need to move out of their comfort zone and be more social, but their innate preferences are not something they will “grow out of.” Likewise, extroverts need to learn, for example, to defer to others rather than dominate a discussion. 

Some of the considerations about personality have cultural and linguistic implications as well. While the distribution of introverts and extroverts is found throughout humankind, beginning English learners and newcomer students may resemble introverts in their behaviors. For instance, newcomer students may appear shy and reticent because they are unfamiliar with American educational practices such as working collaboratively with peers, engaging in contests and participating in discussions. Beginning English speakers will likely be reserved about speaking English aloud and shouldn’t be forced to speak before they are ready, especially in front of the class.  

 To enhance language acquisition:

  • Remember that students are more likely to practice using English when they are in a setting that is comfortable for them. 
  • Within activities that appeal to extroverts such as competitive games and assignments, create roles for introverts where they will be more comfortable such as letting them judge a contest, document a discussion, or create questions.
  • Respect student differences and, to the extent possible, provide opportunities for each to shine in their own way. 
  • Keep in mind that both types of students can learn to interact well with peers but don’t force socialization that may intimidate some students.
  • With remote teaching, introverts may be more comfortable with their camera off. Please see https://twitter.com/MrsParkShine/status/1300401054404796416 for an excellent idea by Esther Park to accommodate different learners in an online setting. 

3. First-Language Development                                                                                                       

Learning a first language, although a natural process, is complex and requires a minimum of 12 years. Although a tremendous amount of language is acquired from birth to age 5, children from ages 6 to 12 continue to develop more sophisticated forms of semantics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and elaborated speech. Certain aspects of language development such as vocabulary expansion continue for a lifetime.

Research reveals that one’s level of first-language development significantly influences second-language development. Students who have had the benefit of schooling in their first language are more efficient at acquiring a new language. Strong oral language and literacy skills developed in the home language provide a solid basis for the acquisition of language, literacy, and other academic skills in English. Those who achieve full cognitive development in both languages will gain the cognitive benefits of biliteracy; when development of the first language is discontinued, there actually may be negative consequences.  Many English learners who have low literacy levels find it difficult to catch up academically in the second language, a language they do not yet fully comprehend. Continued first-language instruction is beneficial since the deeper the conceptual foundation, the higher the ability to build.    

To enhance language acquisition:                                                                                                                                          

  • Do not discourage or restrict use of students’ first language at school or at home. (Obvious exceptions would be tasks that require the use of English, such as oral presentations, written assignments or assignments designed to practice using academic English.) Students benefit from clarifying concepts, information and terminology in their first language with peers or the teacher so that their learning doesn’t lag. The more students develop their first language, the better prepared they will be to learn English. 
  • Encourage parents to create a language-rich home by talking, singing, telling stories, and so forth. When parents use their native language, their children become familiar with word order and patterns, rhyming, vocabulary, and concept development—as well as background knowledge upon which to build. Sending home books or links to websites in their home language can also foster language and literacy development.
  • With time at home, remote teaching may benefit English learners in balancing assignments and activities completed in their first language with family support, and assignments in English. 
  • Explore offering dual language or bilingual programs at your school so that students can develop a strong foundation in their home language.

4. Access to the Language                                                                                                                 

Research shows that English learners benefit from opportunities to use the language with English speakers, and adolescents demonstrated stronger English proficiency outcomes when they had opportunities to use English in informal settings such as in their neighborhoods, at work, with friends and in the hallways of school. In classrooms, language acquisition is fostered when English learners work in collaborative groups with English speakers since these activities allow English learners to practice using English and the context itself makes English accessible. However, simply hearing the language doesn’t provide access. Many of us come into contact with speakers of other languages in various settings, but we don’t actually learn the language when we hear it spoken. In the same way, English learners may spend many hours hearing English in school without really accessing it in any meaningful way. Learning requires contextual clues to make the message understandable, which is why conversational language is more readily developed than academic language. Social conversations are inherently full of clues while academic language is much more decontextualized and requires high-quality instruction to be accessible for English learners.                                                                                                          

To enhance language acquisition:

  • Plan multiple opportunities for English learners to interact with English-speaking students through partner work, group projects, paired reading and other ways to ensure that English learners are accessing the language in meaningful ways. 
  • With remote learning, English learners might partner with English speakers in breakout rooms to engage in partner reading and other activities. 
  • Encourage participation in extra-curricular activities so that English learners have access to English-speaking peers outside of the classroom.
  • Use teaching techniques that make academic content comprehensible for English learners so that they can more easily access its meaning. (See #5 below)

5. Quality of Instruction                                                                                                      

Fundamentally, effective instruction begins with having high expectations for students. The attitude and expectation that English learners can and will learn grade-level material are reflected in high-quality instructional practices:

  • Follow consistent daily routines
  • Engage in lesson preparation 
  • Use visuals, multimedia and other contextual clues to make teaching meaningful
  • Build on students’ background knowledge and experiences
  • Model use of instructional strategies 
  • Acknowledge sociocultural factors that affect English learners 
  • Implement techniques for differentiating instruction
  • Provide opportunities for students to practice and apply new information and skills
  • Use assessment-informed instruction

These practices positively impact English learner outcomes, including language acquisition. Researchers have suggested that many learning problems experienced by students learning English are pedagogically induced, or the result of instructional practices that are not suited to the learner, sometimes resulting in inappropriate placement in special education. Effective language learning takes place in well-organized classrooms where teachers use instructional practices that are effective for English learners. If instruction is not made comprehensible and accessible for students, the opportunity to learn both English and academic content material decreases.                                                                                 

To enhance language acquisition:

  • Develop clear content and language objectives so that students know which aspect of language is the focus of the lesson.
  • Use instruction that is based on research-validated practices, listed above.
  • Provide opportunities for interaction with the teacher and peers that allow students to use elaborated language around relevant topics, building English skills while at the same time developing content knowledge. 

Some of the suggestions for enhancing language acquisition are impeded to one degree or another by remote teaching. However, all can be used at least to some extent depending on your own situation. For example, interaction can take place in online breakout rooms. 

These are challenging times for educators. Hopefully this post will serve as a reminder about the linguistic needs of your English learners and provide you with some use-tomorrow ideas to enhance their language acquisition. 

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Aren’t All Teachers Language Teachers?

Many content teachers have made a significant investment in preparing to teach a specific subject area such as science, math, social studies, music, and so forth. It’s natural that their focus is on teaching the content topics in their area of expertise. Elementary teachers also teach a variety of subjects and tend to focus on the topic at hand whether it is teaching a science lesson or poetry. Few would disagree that language permeates all topics and subject areas.  

In this time of remote learning, teachers are experiencing the reality that many students, English learners and English-speaking students alike, are challenged by the rigorous content and skills associated with high academic standards. Meeting standards is challenging when teaching face-to-face but is even more so in a remote environment. 

It’s important to keep in mind that English learners are learning the same content as other students, but they are reading, writing, listening and speaking a language in which they are not yet completely proficient. What a difficult job they have!  

At the same time, these students are developing a level of English language that English-speaking students and teachers typically take for granted, such as stating an opinion, asking for permission, clarifying a statement, and reading written instructions. Also, they’re learning lots of high level of academic vocabulary.

It’s easy to see that English learners might disengage from remote lessons when the lesson’s content and instruction are well beyond their level of English proficiency.

In planning and teaching lessons, attention to the linguistic needs of English learners is critical for them to be able to participate fully in lessons and learn academic content. Effective teachers, those whose English learner students thrive, intentionally teach language and content simultaneously. 

In reality, all teachers are language teachers. Teachers with English learners in their classes need to think about ways to integrate language into content lessons. Every content area — math, science, language, arts, history — requires students to use language in a particular way. For example, texts in social studies tend to use more expository writing which differs from a narrative story in English language arts that uses metaphor. 

The academic language used in school is particularly challenging for English learners because it differs from the everyday language students “pick up” in day-to-day life. It is more grammatically dense and formal than the kind of language found in conversations at home and with peers. It includes more sophisticated and technical vocabulary, complex sentence structures, and rhetorical forms that are used almost exclusively in academic settings. It’s unlikely that English learners are exposed to this type of language outside of school. 

Integrating language into content lessons begins with lesson planning. In designing lessons, focus on the purpose of the lesson and its associated language by writing both content objectives (What students will learn, based on standards) and language objectives (The language students need to be successful in the lesson). Ask yourself:

  • What vocabulary do students need in order to understand the content?
  • What kinds of language functions do I need to teach, e.g., compare and contrast, use of superlatives, or making predictions?

The answers to these questions become your language objectives. Then think about meeting those objectives and ask:

  • When in the lesson will I explicitly teach the language needed?
  • What activities will I plan that provide opportunities for students to use language and meet the objectives?
  • What scaffolds will I use to make the lesson more comprehensible, e.g., visuals or a partially completed outline?

When teachers post and review objectives with students, students internalize the idea that both content and language are the focus of learning.  By way of demonstrating the power of making students aware of the lesson’s objectives, let’s look at what happened in a second-grade class. The class had been reading “How To” books and the assignment was: Think of something you can do. Write a “How To” book of your own.  One English learner surprised her teacher with the following beginning to her book:

Book Cover

It’s evident that Angelica learned that both content and language are important. In fact, her objectives are actually quite good!  She even listed the materials needed: popcorn, microwave and bowl.

Routinely posting and reviewing content and language objectives helps teachers think about the language demands of the content lesson they are planning. And, it lets students in on what they are learning and why. Potent stuff.

Since language is an integral part of learning content, English learners benefit when teachers think through the language demands of lessons and teach students what they need in order to learn the lesson’s content information and skills. Indeed, all teachers are language teachers.

Based on: Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E, Short, D. & Toppel, K. (2024). Making content comprehensible for Multilingual learners: The SIOP Model, Sixth Edition. Boston: Pearson.

Short, D. & Echevarria, J. (2016). Developing Academic Language Using the SIOP Model. Boston: Pearson. 

(A version of this post was published on February 22, 2016)

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Five Steps to Family Literacy for English Learner Families

The advantages of parent involvement in their child’s school life are well documented. Students’ academic achievement is positively impacted when their parents are involved in their education, no matter how academic achievement is defined. A meta-analysis of studies found that the relationship between parent involvement and student achievement was strongest if parental involvement was defined as parents’ expectations for the academic achievement of their children. One could argue that parents, especially those of English learners, need to know what the expectations of school are for their children in order to support them in meeting academic expectations. 

There are myriad ways to create family-school partnerships with English learner families. A unique family-school program at a middle school in Texas created a path for parent literacy called, English for All. It went beyond the typical adult ESL programs offered to communities as an outreach method. One goal of the program was to create a student-centered school, one in which families become an integral part. Further, classes were geared to the needs of the parents rather than simply being an English language class. Finally, the program offered an avenue for speaking to parents about their student’s performance in the classroom. 

In order to recruit participants for the program, a letter was sent home to the families of all EL students at the school describing the benefits of the program and the nature of the classes. The letter was written in both English and Spanish. Parents were asked to return a form indicating their interest. Once the number of parent participants was known, then the following 5-step process was initiated.

English for All: Five Steps 

1. Identify a team. One team member was an administrator so that the team had someone with authority to open the building, be a liaison to the superintendent and/or site principal, acquire funds as needed and so forth. The superintendent approved funds for teacher pay and for necessary supplies. Teachers on the team volunteered to participate and were paid for their time. In other programs similar to this one, teachers might give their time as a service to the community since finds aren’t always available to support teachers after regular hours. 

2. Assess the needs of the adult students. There were two aspects to the assessment. At the initial meeting, each parent was given a questionnaire asking about their perception of the school, what they expected to learn in the course, and specific needs they may have. The assessment revealed that, for example, some parents wanted GED preparation while others wanted to learn and practice interview skills. In addition, parents were given an entry quiz to determine their home language and their level of English proficiency. 

3. Devise a plan based on assessment results. All parents were Spanish speakers so the only consideration for planning for class groups was level of English proficiency.  Admittedly, the program couldn’t accommodate each of the requests that parents wrote on the questionnaire, but the course content was centered on what the majority wanted and set out to make it “a great place to learn” for all. 

Teachers were assigned to classes based on their strengths. One teacher had an affinity for newcomer students, so she was assigned to beginning speakers while an English teacher was assigned to the advanced group. Knowing teachers’ strengths and using them appropriately was important for the program’s success. 

It was decided that sessions would take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 5:30 – 7:30. 

The team elected to include students in the program to serve as a support to their parents in the adult classes. They could also receive tutoring in math, history and science if they needed extra support in those subjects.

 4. Implement the plan. When parents arrived, they went to their assigned classroom where there was a sign-in sheet and light snacks were provided. Many parents came straight from work, so refreshments were appreciated. 

5. Conduct follow-up and feedback. Using feedback to inform the program was a priority and was one of the most important aspects of the five steps. For example, the original 5:30 meeting time didn’t work for some parents, so the time was changed to 6:00. This adjustment based on feedback illustrated its value. If not for the feedback, some parents may have quit coming without the teacher ever knowing why. 

Teachers also were provided feedback by the administrator who observed classes. For instance, he suggested ways to make content and language objectives more student-centered and made suggestions for changing some content. Teachers also shared with their school colleagues about what they did in their evening classes and colleagues provided feedback. Follow up and feedback were done in a spirit of collaboration. Parents appreciated the responsiveness of the team and teachers felt supported by the administrator and fellow teachers. 

Structure of English For All Classes

Classes were designed to give parents a window into their child’s school day, so each class was set up to resemble the usual classroom. Since Aldine ISD uses the SIOP Model for lesson planning and teaching, evening lessons also reflected SIOP’s components. Parents were able to experience teaching and learning that was similar to that of their students. 

Teachers posted content and language objectives for the lessons each evening. The team thought it was important for parents to see that lessons were well thought out and were not pulled together on the spur of the moment. Each lesson provided opportunities for parents to speak, listen, read and write. 

The most important components of SIOP for adult learners in Aldine’s program were Lesson Preparation, Building Background, Comprehensible Input, Strategies, Interaction, and Practice & Application. (Lesson Delivery and Review & Assessment weren’t as critical in this context). Some of the specific SIOP features that teachers utilized included:

  • Define clear content and language objectives.
  • Plan meaningful activities that incorporate language.
  • Provide opportunities to engage in academic conversations. 
  • Teach specific academic vocabulary. For example, vocabulary terms were taught before practicing interview skills.
  • Plan with all proficiency levels in mind. 
  • Use wait time appropriately.
  • Clarify concepts as needed.
  • Ask higher order questions.
  • Provide hands-on activities such as vocabulary cards for beginners and computer programs for the advanced group. 
  • Differentiate instruction based on parents’ needs and strengths.
  • Use a variety of grouping configurations, allowing parents to move around.

Parents were involved in a variety of activities such as role playing, mock interviews, matching pictures with English words and saying words aloud, and friendly competitions where each table of parents tried to be the first to complete an activity and win a door prize. Also, homework was given, and completed homework assignments were presented in class. 

The teachers created a safe classroom environment where parents felt free to actively participate. Parents were grouped in ways that ensured that each would be successful. They clapped for one another and were very supportive. Parents were from various regions of Latin America and through the activities they learned about other cultures and shared their differences. For example, during the holidays, classes made snow globes to represent their cultures. Each parent, usually along with their child, did a presentation of their snow globe in English. 

There were numerous benefits of the program. The primary purpose of this program was to increase parents’ English proficiency. In the process, it created a bridge between the school and families. Relationships that developed through the program carried over to the school environment. For example, a girl was having difficulty getting along with others in her class. The girl and her parent had been participating in the English for All program and during one of the evening classes, the student’s teacher and the administrator had the opportunity to discuss the issue with her. The student confided that there were a group of girls who did not like her because she was different. The next school day her teacher and the administrator met with the students and had a conversation about the issue and about how they were going to find a solution. The students apologized to the girl and they then became friends. Subsequently, the girl began flourishing in the classroom and growing academically. 

One of the most significant outcomes of the English for All program was that student achievement improved for those students whose parents were in the program. Based on practice standardized tests, growth in reading, writing, speaking and listening for participating students exceeded that of students whose parents did not participate in the program. This trend is promising, although the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted standardized testing which made definitive data unavailable. However, the trend is consistent with research on parent involvement and its positive impact on student achievement. 

A special thanks to Dr. Frank Cisneros, Assistant Principal in Aldine ISD, who had the vision to start the English for All program and was the administrator behind its implementation.