It can be overwhelming to prepare a reading lesson in a way that supports English Language Learners’ (ELLs/ESL) reading comprehension alongside their non-ELL peers, but it doesn’t need to be.
Research shows that best practices for building reading comprehension in non-ELLs also works well for ELLs. Some instructional practices just need to have a greater emphasis in order to provide ELLs the specific supports they need in order to be successful.
Below is a list of 10 steps to tackling reading comprehension of any text with your ELLs. Steps 1-5 of this focus on supporting ELLs before reading, and Steps 6-10 focus on how to help them succeed during and after reading.
1. THOUGHTFULLY CHOOSE TEXTS:
It is important to be mindful of the difficulty level of the reading materials ELLs are expected to read and understand. They need to be able to access the same content area information as the rest of their non-ELL peers.
It is very helpful for ELLs to provide them with lower leveled books (at their instructional reading level) and online texts on topics they will be studying in their regular content area classroom(s). The ELL teacher and classroom teacher can communicate about what is coming up next across the content areas to keep that in mind when both teachers are selecting texts for students.
After students have the academic vocabulary and content-specific information on a topic, they will be ready to tackle more difficult texts that are a bit above their reading level.
2. BE SELECTIVE WITH VOCABULARY:
It can be overwhelming to try to select vocabulary words from a text for ELLs, as there will most likely be many words that could be unfamiliar to them. Be selective in picking out no more than 7 words (I find that 5 is ideal) that are necessary for comprehending the text.
When picking a word think, “Will they be able to comprehend the text without knowing this word?” If the answer is “Yes,” then cross that word off your list of words to preteach. If the answer is, “No,” then you have selected a great word to preview!
3. PREVIEW VOCABULARY:
There are many ways you can preview vocabulary with ELLs, from a quick discussion on important words from the text to spending an entire class having students develop their own definitions, pictures, sentences, etc. for each of the words.
One of my go-to ways to preview vocabulary is to use a simple vocabulary chart. I usually go through this with students, working together to create a common definition, discuss images they can draw to help them understand the word, and then putting the word in a sentence. Working through the chart together makes the information more accessible to your beginners.
4. BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE:
Before reading both fiction and nonfiction texts, consider what will come up that your ELLs may be unfamiliar with. In fiction, this could be a traditional birthday party, holiday, or fantasy figure (i.e. the tooth fairy). With nonfiction, building prior knowledge with your ELLs can look very similar to building prior knowledge with your non-ELLs. This could be discussing a topic to create a group KWL (Know, Want to Know, Learned) where you brainstorm what the class collectively knows on a topic and what they want to know on a topic. It can also be helpful to provide visuals to discuss, such as photos, videos, or picture walk of a text.
For more ways to build background knowledge in students, read this blog post on how to build background knowledge in your students.
5. USE VISUALS AND REALIA:
Visuals are an important support for ELLs of all levels, but especially in tackling texts that are above their reading level. The visuals you choose to use will look very different depending on what you are reading. Some examples could be:
- Simple picture book: Do a picture walk prior to reading a fiction or nonfiction text. Discuss the pictures or images with students using terms or content-specific vocabulary they will come across in their reading.
- Novels without pictures: Before reading, select parts of the text that could be helpful to stop and have students create visualizations, or drawings (as a whole class or small groups). This can give life to the text for your ELLs. If applicable, use film as a support. For example, I would have my 8th grade ELLs reading “To Kill a Mockingbird” in their ELA class watch each chapter of the film version prior to analyzing each chapter in their whole class setting. This supported them in understanding both the text and the whole class discussion.
- Nonfiction Articles without images: Search for images online that depict portions of the text. Discuss the images using language they will come across in their reading.
6. SUPPORT ELLS IN READING:
After previewing vocabulary, providing visuals, and building background knowledge, ELLs need support during the act of reading, especially with a text above their reading level.
Choral reading, which is having students read aloud at the same time, is a great way to support ELLs and build their reading fluency. It can be done as a whole class or in a small group. This is a very unintimidating way for beginning ELLs to practice reading aloud. It also offers each student the most opportunities for reading aloud as opposed to taking turns or even partner reading.
Give your ELLs as many exposures to the text as possible. This could be first listening to the teacher model fluent reading, then choral reading, partner reading, silent reading, etc. With each read, your students will build their fluency, gain confidence in their ability, and improve their understanding of the vocabulary and topic presented. You can also set a different purpose for each read, like in close reading. There are many variations of how to implement close reading, but below is an example of what a fiction close read could look like for your ELLs:
Taking any opportunity to have ELLs practice their oral language skills is important. So, after giving them time to organize their thoughts in writing, students share their thoughts with a partner or small group.
Students can record information in a notebook, graphic organizer, or other reading response such as this close reading cap craft below.
7. TEACH READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES:
Reading strategies word wall – flashcards with student friendly definitions and visuals for each reading strategy
Modeling and practicing reading comprehension strategies is beneficial to all students in building strong, independent readers. Having visuals displayed with student-friendly definitions and clear pictures is key for introducing and reinforcing reading strategies. Teachers can display a reading strategy word wall of all the strategies we use, in order to refer to them regularly. I also use a larger, more detailed poster as we dive into a specific strategy.
It helps to start with modeling one strategy at a time through think-alouds, then whole group practice, and ultimately independent practice. I stick with one strategy until I feel students really understand it before moving on to the next. The goal is for students to eventually use multiple strategies at the same time in their own independent reading. Using graphic organizers, reading crafts, and other visuals that break down each strategy can really make them “stick” for ELLs and all students.
8. FOSTER DISCUSSION:
As the teacher, it is important to pose thoughtful questions, both literal and inferential, to your ELLs. This class discussion is critical in the comprehension of your ELLs. It helps to clarify any misconceptions they may have had from the text.
As this discussion can sometimes be information overload for your ELLs struggling with listening comprehension, it can also be helpful to keep track of information from the class discussion in a visual way. This could be done by the teacher on a white board/anchor chart or by the students in their own individual record or graphic organizers.
9. PROVIDE MULTIPLE WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO SHOW UNDERSTANDING:
When considering comprehension activities for your ELLs, remember that there are 4 areas of language acquisition ELLs always need to be working on – Speaking, listening, writing and reading.
Since we have already covered listening and reading, that leaves 2 areas of output ELLs can use for showing comprehension – writing or speaking. It’s important to provide plenty of ways for students to practice these areas. This allows them to show their language strengths through some activities, but also improve on the areas they struggle with in other activities. Some ways students can show their comprehension is through:
- class discussions,
- oral presentations (given one on one or to a small group for beginners),
- meeting with the teacher,
- creating a poster,
- a PowerPoint presentation,
- a graphic organizer,
- short answers,
- a reading response craft,
- a piece of writing, and so on.
10. CONTINUE TO BUILD ON NEW KNOWLEGDE:
As with all students, research has shown that ELLs need multiple exposure to vocabulary and information for it to really sink into their long-term memory. To make information on a topic stick, reading texts that can build on information they have just read in one lesson provides a great way to reiterate what was already learned.
For example, if I read a text on sea turtles, I could then choose a fiction or nonfiction texts around oceans or ocean animals to expose ELLs to similar vocabulary and ideas. This allows them to build on their background knowledge of a topic and begin to make deeper connections. This can be much more effective than consistently choosing topics that are all over the place from one day to the next, especially with ELLs.
Next Up: 5 Ways to Use Graphic Organizers with ELLs