English Language Learners: A Case Study

English Language Learners comprised 9.2% of the national student population in 2013, with some state percentages as high as 22.8% . (U.S. Department of Education, 2015) It is more important than ever that teachers employ instructional practices that effectively address the needs of the ever-increasing ELL population. Many ELL students are mistakenly placed in Special Education classes solely due to a lack of understanding of the literacy needs of English Language Learners on the part of the educational community (Rohan, 2011, pg 86). Instead of assuming that ELL students are unable to learn, teachers must find more effective ways to engage these students in order to provide opportunities for reading texts and engaging in higher levels of thinking. …show more content…
69).
Although teachers are responsible for the learning of every student who enters their classrooms, very few teachers have experienced teacher preparation programs or professional development that explicitly addresses the learning needs of ELL students (NEA, 2011, p. 2). The idea that “all teachers are teachers of reading” was introduced to the educational community in the 1920s and teaching students how to read content-based instructional materials been practiced in classrooms for decades. However, the reading level of high school seniors has declined since 1992. Additionally, 60% of all high school seniors read at a basic or lower level (Shanahan). As the number of students who enter college increased, the number of college freshmen who require remedial courses increased to 42%. (Shanahan) This problem is magnified for English Language Learners. Only 61 % of ELL students currently graduate from high school. Of the 31% that continue to postsecondary education, only 10% will graduate with a bachelor's degree …show more content…
When reading for overall literacy in a specific discipline, teachers must be able to set aside a preconceived notion of what the ELL student should be regurgitating and instead put themselves in the shoes of that student to see things how the student is interpreting the text, incorporating student-specific contexts, background knowledge, and inferences made upon experiences. Building discussion within a discipline-specific framework promotes interaction between ELL and native English students and allows them to build upon one another's ideas. When teachers use a DSL approach, ELL students are empowered to be active participants in their own learning while building English proficiency at a level in which a content area approach can not

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