English Language and Literacy: Books

′The book makes a contribution to the education of English language learners. It provides practical instructional suggestions for teachers of both ELLs and SELs that are informed by a deep understanding of theories of second language and second dialect acquisition and the development of reading and writing proficiencies′--Guadalupe Valdés, Professor of Education, Stanford University ′The concepts of gaps and bridges are clearly articulated up front and provide a well-structured theme that unites the various parts of the text. The use of this structure provides a logical and coherent mechanism for providing a complete picture of the problem--the literacy gap between ELs and native speakers--and a means for addressing this problem′--Kristina Anstrom, Senior Research Scientist, The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education Build bridges of support so English language learners can learn alongside their peers! English language learners (ELLs) and standard English learners (SELs) face multiple gaps as they strive to achieve, so educators need to take a holistic, comprehensive approach to bridge those gaps and meet the needs of ELLs and SELs in the classroom. Based on an original, well-researched framework, this much-needed resource provides practical strategies for supporting learning and success for ELLs. The authors provide strategies, examples, and classroom tools to address: - The gap between students and texts: covering word recognition, background knowledge, comprehension, and academic language development - The gap between students and teachers: including socio-cultural differences between teachers and students, and teacher perceptions and expectations - The gap between students and their peers: discussing language proficiency differences, grouping strategies, and grade-level and schoolwide programmes The Literacy Gaps helps educators give ELLs the skills they need to close the most important gap of all: the achievement gap.

Teaching English Language Learners: Content and Language in Middle and Secondary Mainstream Classroomsis a user-friendly guide for planning, implementing, and assessing high-level, content-area instruction for English Language Learners. Starting with an overview of second language acquisition and the cultural variables that impact teaching and learning, this text goes on to detail planning strategies, units and lessons in the subject areas where it is most difficult to shelter content and scaffold language skills: middle and secondary Math, English Language Arts, History, and Science. Teaching English Language Learners will leave preservice teachers with a foundational understanding of how to purposefully structure, build, and present effective lessons for English Language Learners in these mainstream, content-area courses.