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Reading comprehension and English language learners

Teaching reading comprehension and helping English language learners are the responsibility of every teacher, but they are also within the abilities of every teacher. These articles provide strategies for building content-area reading comprehension before, during, and after reading that can help English language learners — and all learners.

Format: series (multiple pages)

Reading comprehension strategies for English language learners

In Reading comprehension and English language learners, page 2

Strategies like think-pair-share, think-alouds, and GIST can help English language learners, content-area learners, and all students make sense of text while they read.

By Ellen Douglas.

Who's Your Mama?: A Family Who's Who

This is the first of two lessons that can be used with Cynthia Rylant's book, The Relatives Came. Students will read, draw, role-play and sing about family roles and titles.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts, English Language Development, and Social Studies)

By Laura Bahlmann and Mary Lail.

Reading comprehension: What works?

Teach reading comprehension in the elementary grades with flexible strategies that connect reading to the real world, promote independence, and keep students engaged.

By Mary Rogers Rose.

English language learners and special education testing

In Bridging Spanish language barriers in Southern schools, page 3.4

English language learners are often incorrectly labeled with learning disabilities because of inffective diagnostic tests. A more effective model of testing and instruction would be based upon the educational concepts of scaffolding instruction and the Zone of Proximal Development.

Format: article

By Mary Faith Mount-Cors.

Formulating questions to meet information needs of ESL students

A multi-activity lesson plan to teach the concept of asking engaging, researchable questions prior to reading which leads to effective inquiries during project work. Using engaging questions creates a sense of connectedness by linking academic contents with students' personal concerns. The lesson is primarily designed for English Language Learners although it can be adapted for mainstream students. This lesson can also be modified for use with grades 4-8.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Development and Social Studies)

By Deborah Wilkes, Kristi Triplett, and Karen Waller.

Teaching the features of effective writing

In The five features of effective writing, page 1

By organizing your instruction around focus, organization, support and elaboration, style, and conventions, you can help students become more effective writers and make your own job easier.

Format: article

By Kim Bowen and Kathleen Cali.

Reading is for the boys (and girls)!

This WebQuest for teachers looks at the difficult issue of how to get — and keep — boys interested in reading. It guides you through the research, then looks at text selection and pedagogy and helps you find specific strategies for narrowing the adolescent "literacy gap."

Format: article

By Kimberly Bowen.

Resources on the web

Building reading comprehension through think-alouds

Introduces the think-aloud strategy to students. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE