Over the course of 4 weeks, we are breaking down the 4 domains of language:
Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Episode 73 is all about READING.
As we have surveyed our Equipping ELLs community, educators have jumped on resources related to reading. Why? Because teaching ELLs to read can be really HARD.
English is a tough language to learn! Let’s compare some of the most commonly spoken languages:
- Italian: 33 phonemes, 25 ways to spell the sounds
- Spanish: 35+ phonemes, 38 ways to spell the sounds
- French: 32 phonemes, 250+ ways to spell the sounds
- English: 44+ phonemes , 1,100+ ways to spell the sounds
What we need to realize is that the playbook used for monolingual students in a Kindergarten or 1st grade classroom is not the same playbook we should be pulling from with our ESL students. Research shows that our students need to have an English lexicon before they start in to phonics. This means that we start with helping them to implement speaking and listening vocabulary first. After a base vocabulary is established, the student can pull from that when learning to read.
Topics Discussed in this episode:
- Stages of Learning to Read
- Practical tips for how to support your ELLs with their reading
- Student reading expectations for each language stage
Resources:
- Join the Equipping ELLS Membership
- Read Alouds with Scaffolds
- High Frequency Words Activity
- Heggerty Phonemic Awareness
- 2-Part podcast on the Science of Reading
- Podcast episode on high frequency words
Connect with Beth:
More about Equipping ELLs:
We all know that teaching isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be this hard. Equipping ELLs is a podcast for both ESL specialists and homeroom teachers who are looking for effective and engaging ways to support their English Language Learners without adding to their endless to-do list. Tune in each week to hear tips, strategies, and inspirational stories that will empower you to better reach your ELL students, equip them with life-long skills, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and parents.
Your host, Beth Vaucher, is the founder of Inspiring Young Learners. She is an ESL certified homeroom teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the US and internationally. Her background of M.Ed in ESL and Curriculum and Instruction combined with her experience has led her to develop a bestselling newcomer curriculum that has sold in over 90 countries around the globe. She brings a different perspective to teaching ELLs from her years teaching and living abroad and working with ELLs from around the world. You will walk away from each episode with the ideas and tools you need to transform your experience as a teacher and cultivate a thriving and welcoming environment for your ELL students.
