Research-Based Instruction that Makes a Difference in English Learners’ Success

During the past two decades, several changes have transformed core practices of teacher educators. One of the most salient changes pertains to dramatic shifts in school demographics. In practically every state in the United States, primary, elementary, middle, and high schools are experiencing expanding enrollments of students whose primary language is not English. Recent demographic data show that linguistically and culturally diverse students constitute an increasingly strong presence in our schools and communities. There are approximately 5 million ELs in the U.S., and this number is on the rise.It is estimated that two-thirds of these students are in at least one course taught by general education teachers. Growth in K-12 EL enrollment has skyrocketed in the past 20 years. One in 20 public K-12 students was an EL in 1990. In 2008, it was one in nine. Projections suggest that in 20 years it will be one in four. The content of the book integrates new and emerging research and policy insights that inform effective teaching of ELs across the disciplines. The chapters in this book will in ways to give teachers the tools they need to improve the quality of instruction in classrooms with ELs in grades K-12 both in the United States and around the world. In this book a select group of contributors address a variety of topics to enhance ELs language and literacy skills, as well increase their reading comprehension abilities across the curriculum. Chapter topics include reading and writing instruction focusing on the Common Core standards, classroom-based assessment, literacy-based mathematics instruction, literacy instruction using current technologies that include digital literacies and social media, as well as context-embedded vocabulary development using art.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Research, Policy, and Practice Insights to Support the Teaching of English Learners in Mainstream Classrooms Kouider Mokhtari and Myra Daniel Part I: Supporting English Learners’ language and Literacy Development Across the Disciplines Chapter 1. Enhancing English Learners’ Access to Disciplinary Texts Through Close Reading Practices Zhihui Fang, Suzanne C. Chapman, University of Florida Chapter 2. High Expectations: Increasing Productivity and Complexity in English Learner (EL) Writing Kathleen A. J. Mohr, Sylvia Read, Alayne Leavitt, Utah State University Chapter 3. A Middle School Mathematics Workshop for Multilingual Classrooms: Lessons Learned From A Highly Effective Teacher Mayra C. Daniel, Northern Illinois University, Billy Hueramo, Littlejohn Elementary School Chapter 4. Using Art and Literature to Enhance Critical Thinking and Vocabulary Development for English Learners Chris Carger, Northern Illinois University Chapter 5. The Case for Young Adult Literature: Using Narratives in the EL Classroom Melanie D. Koss, Northern Illinois University Part II: Using Assessment Data To Document Student Performance And Inform Instruction Chapter 6. Using Metacognitive Assessments to Identify Students’ Reading Comprehension Strengths and Needs Kouider Mokhtari, The University of Texas at Tyler Chapter 7. Using Classroom Assessment of Language Levels (CALL) to Address Common Core Standards-based Instruction with English Learners, K-8 Paul Boyd-Batstone, California State University Part III: Supporting Students Literacy Development In Digital Spaces Chapter 8. Digital Literacies for English Learners: Theory and Practice Ian O’Byrne, University of New Haven, Martha Castañeda, Miami University Chapter 9. Integrating Social Media into ELA Curriculum: Towards English Learners’ Academic Literacy Development Dong-shin Shin, Northern Illinois University Part VI: Using Key Understandings About Language and Literacy to Support Instruction for English Learners Chapter 10. Insights Gleaned from Research Syntheses About Teaching English Learners John Evar Strid, Northern Illinois University Chapter 11. Addressing the Reading Comprehension Challenges of English Learners in K-12 Classrooms Using Research-Based Practices Fabiola P. Ehlers-Zavala, Colorado State University Chapter 12. Socrates Returns to the Classroom Joan Wink, California State University, Kerry Britton, Hill City Middle School, Dee Hawksworth, Oakdale Junior High School, Tammy Mc Morrow, Indian Creek Elementary School, Debra Schneider, Tracy Unified School District, Chyllis Scott, University of Nevada, Ruthie Wienk, South Dakota State University, Dawn Wink, Santa Fe Community College Chapter 13. Mainstream Literacy Teachers in Multilingual and Transnational Learning Communities: Making a Case for Transliteracy David Schwarzer, Montclair State University

About the Author :
Dr. Mayra C. Daniel, associate professor in the Department of Literacy and Elementary Education at Northern Illinois University, serves as the Bilingual ESL Coordinator for NIU’s College of Education. Her research focuses on preparing teachers to work with bilingual and multilingual populations in the United States and in Latin America. Prior to her work with teachers in post-graduate programs, she worked to help learners (at levels K-12) from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds to transition and adapt to the cultural norms of life in schooling within rural communities in the state of Illinois. Kouider Mokhtari is the Anderson-Vukelja-Wright Endowed Professor, Literacy Education, at the University of Texas at Tyler, Texas, where he engages in research, teaching, and service initiatives aimed at advancing literacy instruction and increasing students' literacy achievement outcomes. His research focuses on the acquisition of language and literacy by first and second language learners, with particular emphasis on children, adolescents, and adults who can read but have difficulties understanding what they read. Kouider's research has been featured in various literacy research and practice journals. His book Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners (Harvard University Press) was presented the 2013 American Association of Colleges For Teacher Education (AACTE) Outstanding Book Award. He was also the recipient of the 2014 International Reading Association John C. Manning Public School Service Award.

Review :
Daniel and Mokhtari present a cross-curricular guide to integrating the teaching of English as a second language and engaging English-language learners at every grade level from elementary to postsecondary. . . .Though no specific lesson plans are included, the ideas are practical and should be easy to adapt to fit any teacher’s needs, and most chapters include resources for teachers looking to use the ideas in their own classrooms. The text is engaging. . . .Overall, this is a good additional textbook for teacher preservice curricula. This book is engaging and high accessible for educators. It has a strong emphasis on current research in second language literacy combined with direct connections to the classroom. Importantly, the authors address EL literacy across the content areas making it valuable for a wide range of teachers in diverse subject areas from language arts to math. This volume will prove to benefit instruction for English Language Learners, especially for teachers working in mainstream K-12 settings. The topics are comprehensive, from mathematics in middle school multilingual classrooms to digital literacies for ELLs. This book is an extremely helpful and practical guide for all levels of practitioners. Reader friendly, it is a masterful marriage of current research in Second Language Acquisition and emerging pedagogies, which promote students’ language, literacy, and content learning. It also embraces students’ linguistic and cultural integrity within the framework of Common Core, TESOL, and Twenty-First Century Standards.