Teaching the English Language Learner in High School

Just a short post today because it excites me when I find others who share similar ideas.

In my last post, “Accessing Reading in School”, I discussed the importance of every learner, and in particular, the EAL/D learner in high school, reading extended texts in each and every lesson. This post that I came across today https://open.substack.com/pub/scienceofreadingclassroom/p/theres-no-science-of-reading-without?r=2jmmw9&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web may be referring to the teaching of reading in the early years of education, but it is no different for the newly arrived EAL/D learner just beginning to learn to read.

The article by Kata Solow identified the over emphasis on work on phonics and how reading continuous text can become an add-on in a busy lesson line-up. This despite the fact that reading continuous text should be the end game.

My observation of many interventions at the tier 2 and 3 level for language learners and students with disability showed that educators tended to focus on phonics work at word and sentence level. When we don’t focus on reading whole texts linked to this work on phonics, we don’t get to focus on meaning making, which is the whole point of reading.

My suggestions for incorporating reading into the high school classroom:

• In planning each lesson, ensure a short extended text has been prepared for use.
• The student at a lower language ability may need a shorter text that has been slightly simplified (use AI for this but check on complexity of sentences and the meaning generated). You can use this one text multiple times over a week to build familiarity and practice.
• In your annual planning sessions as you and your team put your units together, identify the reading texts that will be used across the unit. This ensures you have a range of texts that fit the contexts being covered.
• Build the reading of the short text into your routines. Your EAL/D learner should know which text they are using over the week and even if your class gets too busy, they will then know to practice this text with or without your help or the help of an aide or a supportive peer in the classroom.