Helping ELLs Succeed in Literacy: A Review of Interventions and Strategies for ELLs

Abstract

In the United States, English language learners (ELLs) are rapidly growing in population. This capstone project aims to support both general education teachers and English as a new language (ENL) teachers working with ELLs. Research shows that general education teachers are not prepared to formulate reading interventions specially designed for ELLs. Appropriate resources and materials necessary to support ELLs in reading are not easily identifiable and information regarding the response to intervention (RTI) process can be limited. Solutions to the problem have been proposed in this capstone project. These solutions include specific intervention strategies addressing the areas of letter-sound correspondence, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and fluency. Furthermore, additional strategies to motivate ELLs to read have been presented with the hopes of them making consistent progress in reading throughout the school year. Several conclusions are discussed to help general education teachers possess a greater sense of readiness to teach ELLs how to read and the implementation of specific interventions. Educators are encouraged to periodically review current practices and adapt interventions when necessary to better support reading development among English language learners.