Latina high school student talking with classmate

English Language Learners

The population of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools is growing quickly. This section includes information on effective ways to teach ELL (also called ESL) students , methods for encouraging learning, and ways to promote family involvement. Please also visit our sister website Colorín Colorado, which focuses exclusively on ELLs.

Multicultural group of high school students outside discussing class reading

Featured Experts

Webcast: English Language Learners

Featuring Kathleen Leos, Deborah Santiago, and Susan Lafond in a discussion on English Language Learners (ELLs). Our expert panel discusses demographic trends, instructional strategies, school-family partnerships, and college readiness.

Videos

Using sentence frames with ELLs
Teacher Sheila Madji explains what a sentence frame is and how she might use this strategy with ELLs.

Pre-reading strategies for comprehension
Learn about pre-reading strategies that will lay the groundwork for ELLs to tackle new texts. Watch as these strategies are put into action to help ELLs learn “A Christmas Carol”.

Creating an engaged and active reader
Learn how to engage ELLs as readers through strategies such as frequent comprehension checks and higher level thinking activities.

Articles

Blog Posts

Blog: Shanahan on Literacy

Does text structure instruction improve reading comprehension?

Meta-analyses indicate that it is effective to teach kids about multiple text structures, and that text structure instruction is particularly potent when writing, graphic organizers, and guidance on watching for “clue words” are included

Blog: Shanahan on Literacy

Cool New Study on Text Difficulty and Adolescent Literacy

A new study indicates that it is not beneficial for most students (English learners are one exception), to shift to easier texts to facilitate their reading — as long as you are ready to provide instructional support.

Expert Q&A

Ways to Encourage ELL Students to Read

Research, Reports & Guides

An Exploration of Text Difficulty and Knowledge Support on Adolescents' Comprehension
Listening to Latinas: Barriers to High School Graduation
Measures of Change: The Demography and Literacy of Adolescent English Learners

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