Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

A significant number of English learners are considered long-term English learners (LTELs) because they’ve been in EL programs for more than 6 years. These students 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.

Why are there so many LTEL students and what can be done?

There is no single answer to this complex issue because there are any number of factors involved such as absenteeism and transiency, but there is a lot that schools can do to reduce the numbers of LTELs.

When discussing exiting 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.

The solution to LTEL students languishing in EL programs is not lowering the bar for exiting but improving the quality of instruction these students receive. After all, EL services are a scaffold, or support, that is in place until the student has 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.

Improving the quality of 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 ensures that grade-level content is made meaningful and provides opportunities for students to use academic language. 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.

Even with SIOP teaching and English language development, there may be barriers to exiting EL programs. I’ll discuss several common barriers in the context of solutions for each one. These ideas build on an assumed foundation of high-quality instruction.

1. School-wide effort. 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 are ready to exit EL programs. School staff should:
   • Meet with each English learner from 4^thgrade 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 should be informed and instruction 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 should be used to create an instructional profile for each student; determine areas of need and focus on those areas. For example, many LTELs 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 (independently, with a partner and with the teacher), talk about what they’ve read, write a response, reaction or summary, and so forth.
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, look at classroom instruction and determine if it is a barrier to attaining English proficiency. Are teachers using a research-validated approach for teaching English learners? Are teachers capitalizing on students’ home language, knowledge and cultural assets? Do teachers have high expectations for their English learners?

With growing numbers of LTELs nationwide, it’s important to be aware of and to reduce barriers for our English learners in reaching English proficiency.

[A version of this post appeared on September 24, 2017]

Think back to your own school days. Which teacher believed in you, inspired you to do well? Most successful people can immediately name at least one such teacher.

For good reason. Teachers’ expectations for students – even their attitudes toward them – has a direct influence on students’ performance and impacts their perceptions of themselves as learners. Research over the past several decades shows that teachers treat students differently, those who they consider achievers and those for whom they have lower expectations.

How so?

Low expectations are communicated to students by:

• Giving less feedback to them, delving into their answers less deeply, and accepting incorrect answers;
• Calling on them less often and waiting less time for them to answer questions when they are called on;
• Asking them less challenging questions and rewarding them for less rigorous responses;
• Smiling less and making less eye contact with them.

English learners, in particular, are often characterized by what they cannot do: they cannot speak English, they are not “ready” to be in mainstream classrooms, they do not understand the culture of schools in the United States, their parents don’t speak English and cannot help them with their schoolwork, they do not do as well academically……. You’ve heard many of these comments that reflect “can’t do” attitudes, I’m sure.

We recognize that there are real challenges in teaching English learners in a language they have not yet mastered, and our research, and that of many others, has focused on strategies and techniques to make content comprehensible for English learners while advancing their English proficiency.

Teachers’ attitudes about working with ELs are often born out of lack of preparation for teaching these students effectively. Even teachers with good intentions may be frustrated if they lack specific knowledge of proven ways of teaching grade-level content so that it is understandable for English learners and allows them to participate fully in lessons.

There are many well-intentioned teachers whose teaching practices unintentionally communicate low expectations and deny English learners access to the education we want for them and the education that they deserve. From our book, No More Low Expectations for English Learners, consider the following chart:

There are many ways to communicate high expectations to English learners including:

• Recognizing and capitalizing on the assets that students bring: their experiences, language, and background knowledge that may not align precisely with the teaching processes in U.S. schools.
• Accepting the level of language that students are able to produce and providing supports to help them understand the content of lessons. Developing second language proficiency is a developmental process that takes time – typically 4-6 years. Students who are trying their hardest may appear passive because they don’t yet have the language to express themselves or may not completely understand the teacher’s expectations for the lesson.
• Communicating with their families and creating school-family partnerships. Research is clear that family involvement has positive benefits for students.
• Ensuring that English learners have access to grade-level content, including college-prep courses. Just because students don’t yet speak English fluently doesn’t mean that they can’t think about complex ideas and respond to higher order questions, when provided linguistic supports.
• Showing interest in each student, getting to know them and discovering their interests and passions. Then greet students at the door by name (pronounced correctly) and ask simple questions about them and their interests.
• Affirming student identity by recognizing that each student has his or her own story. What is her parents’ background? What is her own story? What does she do well (e.g., music, sports, art)? Create opportunities for students to incorporate their heritage, hobbies, and interests into class assignments and share with others. Create a community of learners who know and appreciate one another.
• Providing research-validated instruction to English learners in a supportive environment before suspicion of learning problems creeps in. When English learners struggle academically, the question isn’t, “What’s wrong with this student?” but instead the emphasis is on instruction: “How can we meet the instructional needs of this student?” There is both under- and over-representation of English learners in special education, which is a nagging and complicated issue. For a discussion of RTI and English learners, click here.

Which column in the chart above most reflects your own attitudes and expectations for English learners? It may be uncomfortable to consider, but it’s important to question whether we’re increasing our English learners’ access to academic opportunity or diminishing it. Perhaps even more important is to ask for help when we’re not certain or when we need support in improving instruction for our students.

Far too many English learners have developed speaking and listening skills but remain grades behind in reading, a skill that is critical for academic success. Last month’s guest post about helping English learners read well generated a fair amount of discussion, so I thought it might be useful to continue the conversation.

In the post, Katie Topple made the statement that, “It is also important to carefully balance time dedicated to independent reading with the appropriate amount of reading instruction.”

Absolutely. But the key to this statement is “careful balance.”

Independent reading is an important and necessary part of school. Not only does it provide much-needed practice for building reading stamina, if done well it can ignite in students a love of reading. But it is doubtful that independent reading alone, with occasional teacher guidance, will help English learners become fluent readers who can exit from English learner status, do well in school, and become literate individuals.

Research is clear that explicit teaching of foundational skills is essential. Teachers need to systematically work with students daily on aspects of reading such as

• building vocabulary
• providing feedback to students on their reading
• use of reading strategies
• asking questions to check for understanding and reinforce learning
• engaging in text discussion or other post-reading response activities.

Explicit instruction is made meaningful for English learners when teachers use specific supports and scaffolds such as making word meaning and ideas visual through demonstrations, illustrations, and multimedia; reading text in chunks, asking questions and eliciting discussion, and clarifying before reading the next section; using structural analysis of words to help students organize new words in meaningful ways; differentiating instruction based on language proficiency or skill level; and tapping into what students already know and have experienced and link it to the topic. There are many other scaffolds, techniques, and strategies for making reading instruction understandable and engaging for English learners.

The take-away is that during ELA (English language arts) instruction, English learners need multiple opportunities to interact with words and the kind of text that represents the language they will encounter in academic tasks and on tests, the language that will allow them to express themselves fully in school and beyond, and the language that will prepare them for college and careers. It’s unlikely this will happen without explicit teaching.

Students Need Teachers

Literacy expert Tim Shanahan writes in one of his blog posts, “Given the importance of literacy in our society it is essential that we teach students to read well. With regard to the learning impact of independent reading, the research findings are pretty commonsense: Kids learn something from practicing reading on their own, but they usually learn more when reading under teacher guidance. If kids really learned as much or more from reading on their own as they do from instruction, then we wouldn’t need teachers.” (emphasis mine)

I couldn’t agree more, based on my own experience in classrooms.

In conducting observations over the past few years in urban schools, there have been many times where students, including English learners, were sitting with a book or other reading material for extended periods of time but did not appear to be engaged in actual reading. In recent observation notes I wrote in the margin, Are teachers even necessary?

The thought came to me as a reaction to seeing dozens of classes where virtually no teaching was happening. The majority of the ELA block involved students reading independently, an activity that would be difficult for English learners to sustain given that most don’t have the word knowledge in English to read with comprehension for an extended period of time. Research tells us that students need to understand approximately 95-98% of words to make sense of text.

Yes, English learners need to practice reading. Full stop. But the adage, Practice makes perfect, is only true when the practice is done correctly. In order for skills and knowledge to become automatic, practice must be accurate. It’s unclear what type of practice English learners are engaging in when they are left to “read” on their own for long periods without teacher guidance.

Lack of teacher instruction likely contributes to low literacy levels for English learners. For these students to become competent, independent readers they must be taught how to read and should meet with the teacher for instruction daily. (Typically, we think about reading instruction in the lower grades, but English learners may enter school at any grade and some older students may also require literacy instruction.)

While the reading skills of some English learners may be sufficiently strong to benefit from independent reading, for those students whose reading is below proficient levels, providing explicit instruction might be a better use of their time. Find the appropriate balance for each student, based on his or her reading skill level.

The same is true in bilingual settings. We need to teach students how to read well in both their home language and their second language. Biliteracy is a valuable gift we can give to students, but it needs to be a gift intentionally given — not a wish or a dream.

Many English learners acquire listening and speaking skills but may struggle with developing sufficient reading levels to pass language proficiency assessments or to meet grade-level standards. Although it takes time to become proficient in all domains of academic English, teaching English learners to read well needs to be a priority. Reading is widely recognized as one of the most important skills for academic success, both in first language and second language environments.

This month I have invited two expert practitioners to discuss ways to support English learners in developing reading proficiency. Katie Toppel, Ed.D. is a K-5 English Language Development Specialist in Tigard-Tualatin School District and an adjunct professor at Portland State University. Valentina Gonzalez, M.Ed is a Professional Development Specialist for teachers of English Learners in Texas and a presenter at the national level.

These two represent different settings and approaches to reading. Katie’s district uses a commercial reading program and she supports English learners within that context. Valentina typically supports teachers who use a workshop approach for reading and writing.

I am delighted to bring their perspectives to this topic.

1. It is said that the goal of reading is to have students read widely and a lot so that they develop a love of reading. How does that approach apply to English learners who have limited literacy skills?

Katie: Shared reading, which mimics the experience children have while being read to by an adult, takes place when the text and pictures are displayed for students to see while the teacher reads the text aloud. Shared reading combined with repeated readings of the same text (reading the same text over and over until students are very familiar and can recite or read along) build a foundation for success in comprehension and word recognition. We track print as we read aloud so students can begin to recognize the words as they hear the text multiple times. Students can join in and read aloud while the print is tracked. Through multiple repeated readings of a particular text, students will build confidence and subsequently experience success when they engage with the same text on their own. For students who are still learning to read, shared reading is a great way to scaffold instruction so that students can “read” memorized texts independently to reinforce print tracking, sight words, and word recognition based on a strong foundation of comprehension that has previously been supported through repeated interactions with the text.

Valentina: Though providing independent reading time is important to our students, for English learners who have limited literacy skills, this time needs some extra support in order to be effective. English learners with limited literacy skills benefit from our guidance in selecting books that meet their language and literacy needs. If our goal is for students to develop a love of reading, they have to feel successful with it or they may give up. This means we must take the time to match students with books that will hold their interest and invite them into reading. In addition, we can support students who are at the beginning stages of reading by offering texts on audio as well as pairing students with a buddy reader. Students benefit from reading with partners. Partners can serve as language models and provide English learners with another opportunity to listen and speak using the target language.

Katie:  It is also important to carefully balance time dedicated to independent reading with the appropriate amount of reading instruction. Also, students need coaching in selecting appropriate texts in order to maximize the effectiveness of the time they spend reading on their own. It is also important to make reading available in a variety of formats so students at all skill levels can enjoy the value and pleasure of reading. When English learners are reading at the appropriate level, the cognitive load does not interfere with their enjoyment. Reading aloud to English learners is a great way to introduce them to characters, texts, and genres they might be interested in, so they are motivated to read independently.

2. How does small group instruction benefit English learners and how often should it be used within a reading block?

Katie: Small group instruction provides us with increased opportunities to observe and monitor individual students and gauge their strengths as well as areas where they need additional practice or support. We can differentiate in order to tailor instruction to the specific areas targeted for improvement, which can also include grouping based on students’ English language proficiency or native-language. Ideally, groupings are flexible and temporary so that students do not get discouraged by being classified in one particular way when it comes to their reading skills (i.e. low readers). In small groups, English learners may feel more comfortable responding to questions or reading out loud because being with a smaller number of peers can lower their affective filters. Additionally, because there are fewer students, small groups foster active engagement and students have more opportunities to respond which supports in their language development and ability to share their perspectives, experiences, and to ask questions. Because small group instruction offers so many benefits to struggling readers and to students acquiring English, we should provide small group instruction daily. Time spent in small groups does not need to be lengthy, yet it targets instruction to students’ specific needs to ensure that their time spent reading independently will be focused and productive. In a small group setting, we can document formative assessment data to inform further instruction and to change grouping configurations frequently based on students’ developing skills.

3. How can we instill in English learners a love of reading when many have not had successful experiences with reading?

Valentina: One of the best ways to foster a love of reading in all learners but especially in English learners is to read aloud to them. Practicing daily read aloud is foundational to listening, speaking, reading and writing. And, reading aloud to English learners provides them with a positive model of reading that encourages reading as a source of enjoyment. As teachers, we are able to share the love of reading with our students through reading a variety of genres to them and employing strategic think alouds. As we plan for reading aloud to our English learners it’s important that we keep in mind their interests, texts that are compelling, as well as texts that are relevant and culturally responsive. We can also model our own love of reading and an excitement for stories, characters, and books, by sharing with our students what we are reading or have read recently. By discussing books with students, we can foster relationships around literacy and encourage students to read outside of school (just like we do!).

Katie: Engagement and motivation to read are closely tied to choice of reading material, so it is important for us to help English learners recognize what they like to read and learn about in order to support them in finding books that will excite and interest them. We can capitalize on students’ natural curiosity by matching them with books that will be highly engaging, but also appropriate for their skill level so they do not become discouraged by the level of text complexity. If a reading program is used, it is very important to find avenues to connect the texts to students lives and interests in order to make sure reading is compelling. We can incorporate additional images, videos, realia, and related texts to support comprehension and interest. Lack of access to reading material can sometimes hinder the frequency of reading, so we can encourage reading outside of school by helping students access books through community, school, and classroom libraries.

4. What are scaffolds or supports that might be employed to make grade-level text accessible for English learners?

Valentina: Providing English learners with key vocabulary prior to reading grade-level text can be a linguistic support that makes the text more accessible. This can be employed in a variety of ways. One way is to select a small number of critical words and pre-teach them to the students ahead of reading the text while using graphic organizers such as the Frayer Model and visuals. An alternate method is to allow students themselves to survey the text and highlight 3-5 unfamiliar words. Using the words that students themselves selected, proceed with pre-teaching vocabulary. Offering grade-level text through audio or adapted versions can also level the playing field for English learners. Audio versions of text allow English learners to hear English language structures, fluency and prosody while reading along. The ability to playback the audio is helpful to students who may need to hear the text a few times or listen to it at home. Adapted texts, on the other hand, are texts that contain the same content but may include simplified or paraphrased verbiage.

Katie: Pairing an audio version of a text or pairing a read aloud with a printed copy of the text can support some English learners in following along and associating written words with what they hear. Some reading programs include a highlighted text feature to support students in following along with audio text.  There are some great digital tools available, such as Rewordify.com, that simplify the language in a digital text. Other sites such as Newsela.com offer articles on the same topic at different language levels. These resources help teachers to easily access appropriate texts as opposed to rewriting the text themselves. Given the weekly reading theme contained within a reading program, other texts at different reading levels can be found to go along with the content. It is also helpful to break a longer text into more manageable chunks to ensure that students are not overwhelmed by how much they are asked to read at a given time. Students can focus on reading, understanding, and discussing a smaller section of text before moving on to new content.

5. What is the best advice you can give to a teacher about helping English learners become fluent readers?

Valentina: To increase fluency of our English learners, we can increase our read alouds and provide plenty of opportunities for students to participate in shared reading. Once students have experienced a book as a class read aloud, the book can be moved into a shared reading experience. Shared reading can be implemented in small groups with particular students or as a whole class activity. The students and the teacher read the text together. Shared reading can be echo reading or choral reading. For English learners who have not had successful experiences with reading, echo reading and choral reading provide extra support. Shared reading lowers the affective filter of students and builds reading confidence. Students reading together in a classroom community provides support for English learners and provides scaffolded practice in order for them to read independently. This process follows the Gradual Release of Responsibility: The read aloud is the I Do (teacher does the reading), the shared reading is the We Do (students and teacher read together), and the independent reading is theYou Do (students read on their own).

Katie: It is important to bear in mind that fluency is not merely about accurately pronouncing words with automaticity and expression. Fluency is critical to reading because of its connection to comprehension, which is the ultimate goal of reading, particularly for English learners who are still learning the language and are more likely to misunderstand the content due to unfamiliar words or contexts. Therefore, in order to support fluency, English learners need support in reading comprehension and vocabulary, so they can understand the texts they read. Supporting comprehension can be accomplished through think alouds as well as through explicit instruction around comprehension strategies such as inferring, determining meaning, and making connections. It is also critical to connect to students’ background knowledge and build background knowledge when appropriate, so students have a context for new information or unfamiliar topics. Finally, provide English learners with feedback about their skills, strengths, areas in need of improvement, and growth towards goals. When we involve students in goal setting and self-analysis, it helps them build awareness and engagement in their learning process. Ownership over their learning can result in increased self-efficacy and a growth mindset, which will help sustain motivation when readers encounter challenges.