Maricela

Every year, I receive the cluster of students who are non-native English speakers. This year seventeen of my twenty third-grade students are English language learners. Some of them have participated in the transitional bilingual program that our school offered. Other students have participated in structured English immersion classrooms. The needs of my students are very unique as a whole and on an individual basis. I witness their constant struggle to learn the academic language necessary to be successful students. Therefore, I look forward to learning more about what research has to offer on the subject of second language literacy. Maricela's ThoughtsThe National Reading Panel made the conscious decision to disregard research literature dealing with the development of language and literacy for students whose primary language was not English. Therefore, the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth was organized. Thus, the task of the National Literacy Panel (NLP) was to examine and report on the existing research pertaining to the development of literacy of language minority students. Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel On Language-Minority Children and Youth identifies and synthesizes research about literacy learning for language minority students. The findings of the NLP serve as a benchmark for what we know about the development of literacy in second language learners. It focuses on how first and second language literacy are interrelated, the socio-cultural factors that affect literacy development and learning, instructional approaches and professional development, and assessment. First, the panel sought to examine the relationship between second language oral skills and second language literacy skills. Its findings suggest that students whose primary language is not English have little difficulty with decoding, but struggle with reading comprehension and writing. My language minority students definitely struggle with reading comprehension. This is especially true when we are dealing with content material in the areas of social studies and science. Writing is also an area where they struggle. The first time my students had to write this year one of my boys asked if he could write in Spanish because he did not know how to write in English. I acknowledged his ability to write in Spanish. Other students overheard and also began to write in Spanish. Today, that is no longer the case. They are comfortable writing in English. They’ve made tremendous progress. In the introduction, the NLP makes reference to a crucial need to investigate how content area knowledge can be developed along with literacy for second-language learners. Also, the panel found that there is a correlation between first language literacy skills and second language literacy skills. Students who are literate in their first language find it easier to develop literacy in English. I have noticed that this is true in most cases. Students in my classroom, who had developed solid literacy skills in Spanish, have also developed solid literacy skills in English. Furthermore, the panel examined socio-cultural factors on language literacy development. Factors investigated included immigration, interactions between children’s homes and classrooms, and parent and family influences. The panel found that literacy outcomes are associated with parent education. I have found that parents who are educated have high expectations for their children, thus influencing their success. In addition, it exposes research gaps in the areas of professional development and assessment. Catherine Snow, who served as a senior adviser to the panel, presents the conclusions of the research on second-language literacy development. Analysis of the research acknowledges that the same socio-cultural factors that influence literacy in monolingual readers do so for second language learners. Catherine Snow comments on the “the sorry state of assessment” and therefore the lack of monitoring of progress for second-language learners. She spends quite some time highlighting the need for research in the area of transfer of language skills in literacy development. Findings suggest that language minority students require instructional practices similar to those of native English speakers, taking into consideration the students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds.