1. Promoting ELL Literacy in School and Home 2015 CoTESOL Conference Katy Brammer

2. How can teachers promote literacy for English language learners (ELLs) both at school and home? Why should teachers support reading in school and at home? What techniques can be used to help support reading in school and at home? What is the role of family literacy? How can teachers connect ELLs and their families to the community?

3. ELLs: A Diverse Population The ELL population continues to increase in the United States ▫Colorado has one of the highest percentages of ELLs attending public schools  The ELL population in Colorado has increased by 260% in the last decade (Meyer, 2010). While there are more than 350 languages spoken by ELLs in the United States, Spanish is the predominate language with 77% of ELLs speaking Spanish as their native language during the 2000-2001 school year (García, Jensen, & Scribner, 2009).

4. ELLs: A Diverse Population “In 2000, 68 percent of ELLs in grades preK-5 and 60 percent in grades 6-12 lived in low-income families” (García, Jensen, & Scribner, 2009, p. 11). ▫Compare this to 36 percent of English-proficient students who live in low-income families “ELLs are also more likely to have parents with limited formal education: 48 percent in grades preK-5 and 35 percent in the higher grades had a parent with less than a high school education” (García, Jensen, & Scribner, 2009, p. 11). ▫Compare this to 11 and 9 percent of English-proficient students who had a parent with less than a high school education

5. Spanish-speaking families have a higher percentage of being part of the lower socio- economic group (McQuillan, 1998). McQuillan (1998) states that “Spanish-speaking households are much less likely to have access to books, and therefore less opportunities to further literacy development” (p. 51). ELLs: A Diverse Population

6. Why should teachers support reading in school and at home? Research has shown that reading is an effective way to acquire a second language (L2) and to maintain a first language (L1). For English language learners (ELLs), reading a variety of texts in the L1 and L2 can promote the acquisition of English while also helping to maintain the native language.

7. In- School Free Reading Self- Reported Free Reading Free Voluntary Reading Vocabulary Spelling Grammar Writing Style Reading Comprehension (Krashen, 2004, p. 17) The Reading Hypothesis by Stephen Krashen

8. What is Free Voluntary Reading (FVR)? ▫According to Krashen (2004), FVR “means reading because you want to: no book reports, no questions at the end of the chapter” (p. 1). “In my work in language acquisition, I have concluded that we acquire language in only one way: by understanding messages, or obtaining ‘comprehensible input’ in a low-anxiety situation…This is precisely what free voluntary reading is: messages we understand presented in a low-anxiety environment” (Krashen, 2004, pp. 37- 38).

9. How do we increase reading? “Second language school literacy seems to hinge on three main opportunities: ▫Access to books and/or technology, ▫Structured study time, ▫And regular reading and writing exposure” (Panferov, 2010, p. 109).

10. “Literacy is developed through meaningful experiences with text. To have such experiences, learners must have access to literacy materials in their environment that are relevant and appropriate” (Tse, 2001, p. 256). Access to Books

11. Krashen (2004) suggests that teachers: ▫Provide students time to read  Silent reading opportunities ▫Participate in discussions and literature circles  Shared Book Experience (Elley & Mangubhai, 1983) ▫Read aloud to students ▫Be role models Increasing Reading at School

12. Krashen (2004) suggests that teachers: ▫Improve the print environments in the classroom and in the school library  Provide a variety of texts that are meaningful for the students ▫Provide classroom book displays

13. Increasing Reading at School “High-interest story books provide a basis for language learning which goes a long way to bridge the gap between L1 and L2 learning contexts” (Elley & Mangubhi, 1983, p. 56). ▫Motivation to focus on meaning instead of form ▫Increased exposure to the target language ▫Create classroom discussion about both the story and the pictures (Elley & Mangubhi, 1983). Graphic Novels

14. In- School Free Reading Self- Reported Free Reading Free Voluntary Reading Vocabulary Spelling Grammar Writing Style Reading Comprehension (Krashen, 2004, p. 17) The Reading Hypothesis by Stephen Krashen

15. Involving the Family “Parents are a key component in a child’s academic success” (Lueck, 2010, p. 14). ▫They “must be able to advocate for their children’s school and literacy development” (Panferov, 2010, p. 111). Panferov (2010) states that “reading and writing exposure in the home is crucial, as building literacy in the home, in turn, supports school literacy, which is essential to academic success” (p. 110).

16. Factors that Impede Family Involvement Language Barriers ▫Approximately “three-fifths of children in immigrant families have at least one parent at home who speaks English exclusively or very well” (García, Jensen, & Scribner, 2009, p. 11). ▫In comparison, “one-fourth of immigrant children live in households where no one over age 13 speaks English exclusively or very well” (García, Jensen, & Scribner, 2009, p. 11).

17. The parents own “experiences and expectations for school, as well as English proficiency” (Panferov, 2010, p. 107). Parents’ “lack of time and resources” (Shim, 2013, p. 20) Cultural differences between school and home ▫Roles of parents ▫Roles of teachers All of this can impact a student’s motivation and academic success Factors that Impede Family Involvement

18. Strategies to Encourage Family Involvement Communication in the family’s L1 Panferov (2010) suggests bilingual parent workshops where schools can help educate parents on ways to get involved with their student’s learning. ▫Schools could offer English language instruction classes for parents (Smith, Stern, & Shatrova, 2008). Panferov (2010) also suggests encouraging parents to volunteer in the classroom.

19. Increasing Reading at Home Students and families can be encouraged to access public libraries. ▫For ELLs, the school library and public libraries can be intimidating.  Constantino (1994, 1995) found in her investigations that very few ELLs and their families understood how to use public libraries and some ELLs did not know that the libraries existed  In many countries, public libraries do not exist.

20. Community Outreach Programs Connecting ELLs and their families to public libraries ▫Bilingual Books ▫Bilingual Storytime

21. Providing English language instruction classes to parents Connecting parents to opportunities in the community to take classes ▫Child care options Community Outreach Programs

22. Connecting ELLs and their families to community programs ▫Museums Community Outreach Programs

23. Questions?

24. References Constantino, R. (1994). “It’s like a lot of things in America”: Linguistic minority parents use of libraries. School Library Media Quarterly, 23, 87-89. Constantino, R. (1995) Immigrant students and the library: Still strangers after all these years. California English, 1(1), 24-25. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy2.ulib.iupui.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid+0ef654f 4-8f36-4529-8b6c-77f006f2295e%40sessionmgr4&vid=4&hid+19 Elley, W.B. & Mangubhai, F. (1983). The impact of reading on second language learning. Reading Research Quarterly, 19(1), 53-67. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/747337 García, E. E., Jensen, B. T., & Scribner, K. P. (2009). The demographic imperative H.W. Wilson - Education Abstracts. Krashen, S. (2004). The power of reading (2 nd ed.). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Lueck, C. E. (2010). ELL parents' perceptions matter. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 77(1), 9-16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/849642729?accountid=14793

25. References McQuillan, J. (1998). Language minority students and public library use in the United States. Public Library Quarterly, 17(1), 49-52, DOI: 10.1300/J118v17n01_06 Meyer, J. (2010, Feb. 5). Number of English-language learners on the rise in Colorado. The Denver Post. Retrieved from http://www.denverpost.com/ci_14337738 Panferov, S. (2010). Increasing ELL parental involvement in our schools: Learning from the parents. Theory into Practice, 49(2), 106-112. Retrieved from http://www.tandfonline.com.libproxy.uwyo.edu/doi/citedby/10.1080/004058410036265 51#tab Module Shim, J. (2013) Involving the Parents of English Language Learners in a Rural Area: Focus on the Dynamics of Teacher-Parent Interactions. University of Wyoming Smith, J., Stern, K. & Shatrova, Z. (2008). Factors inhibiting Hispanic parents’ school involvement. The Rural Educator, 29(2), 8-13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.uwyo.edu/docview/221000686?pq-origsite=summon Tse, L. (2001) Heritage language literacy: A study of US biliterates. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 14(3), 256-268, DOI: 10.1080/07908310108666627