The Education of English Language Learners: Research to Practice

Grounded in cutting-edge research on language learning, literacy, and child development, this book presents evidence-based strategies for supporting English language learners' (ELLs') school readiness and achievement at all grade levels. The editors and contributors are leading experts who explain how the learning process is different for ELLs. They synthesize a broad knowledge base and translate it into practical steps that educators can take to promote students' success across the curriculum.

The book examines the importance of communication and language use for children's learning both in and outside of school. Particular attention is given to how learning English is intertwined with learning the student's home language. Contributors discuss the value of promoting bilingual literacy development and provide guidelines for building strong schooluhome partnerships. Key topics include:

-What teachers need to know about first- and second-language acquisition.

-Ways to help children master both conversational and academic English.

-How to integrate language learning into the content areas.

-Assessment of language disabilities and disorders in ELLS.

-How family literacy activities in any language enhance English learning.

-Teaching strategies that have been proven effective with this population.

The volume is organized and formatted for optimal user-friendliness. Each chapter begins with concise focus bullets; summarizes what is known about the topic at hand; and identifies best practices for assessment, instruction, and intervention, as well as implications for teacher preparation and research.

Timely and authoritative, this book belongs on the desks of K-12 reading specialists, speechulanguage pathologists, classroom teachers, and special educators, and will also be of interest to school, educational, and developmental psychologists. Graduate students preparing to work with ELLs will find it an informative and accessible text.

Marilyn Shatz, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Michigan and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Society and has been a Guggenheim Fellow; a Senior Research Fulbright Scholar; and a recipient of a National Institute of Education fellowship. An expert in language and the development of communication skills, Dr. Shatz has used both naturalistic and experimental methods to carry out research on the interrelations among social, cognitive, and language development in young children. Her current research investigates how young children acquire abstract vocabulary. Dr. Shatz has published more than 70 chapters, articles, and books, and has served as an editor and editorial board member of numerous journals.
Louise C. Wilkinson, EdD, is Distinguished Professor of Education, Psychology, and Communication Sciences at Syracuse University, where she teaches courses on literary learning for English language learners. An internationally recognized leader in education, she is best known for her extensive research on school-age children's language and literacy learning and has published 150 articles, chapters, and volumes. Dr. Wilkinson has served on the editorial boards of major research journals. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Educational Research Association, and the American Association of Applied and Preventive Psychology. Dr. 'Wilkinson cochairs the Literacy Leadership for Urban Teacher Education Commission of the International Reading Association.