Because dual-language books (DLBs) print the entire text in two languages nearby on the page, they have great potential for supporting children's biliteracy development by providing contexts to compare/contrast languages. However, little is known about how children read DLBs independently and how they may/may not use such characteristics to…

Many family literacy programs are designed to teach bi/multilingual families school-based reading strategies, which often downplays families' rich cultural and linguistic resources and accentuates the gap between home and school literacy. We designed Reading Without Words to investigate how wordless picture books could be used to feature the…

Translanguaging pedagogies support student writers in expressing themselves using their full language repertoires, writing for authentic audiences, and connecting to their identities. However, many teachers, particularly those who identify as "monolingual" and teach in English-medium classrooms, may not know how to introduce…

As K-5 dual language programs gain popularity in the United States, language teaching, however, often still prioritizes discrete and decontextualized learning that is not built on students' interests and experiences or their multilingual and multimodal resources. This article reports on a classroom-based ethnographic case study and illustrates how…

The author introduces the literature selection bookmark, a tool that inservice and preservice teachers who are teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in international contexts can use to guide them in selecting authentic children's English literature and analyze its utility in the elementary English-language classroom. Authentic children's…

This article describes a year-long reading intervention with a first-grade English-learner who began the year as a non-reader. Systematic instruction from a literacy specialist and her classroom teacher included familiar re-reading, word study, and teacher-guided reading with carefully matched texts, within the context of English language and…

Using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as a theoretical framework, a team of university staff and educators at a traditionally under-performing urban elementary school built a collaboration aimed at enhancing writing instruction. The current qualitative research study, which was part of this larger project, focused on biography writing in Eva…

Educational policies designed to promote literacy achievement in U.S. schools over the past decade have failed to deliver the anticipated outcomes. These disappointing outcomes can be attributed to the implementation of evidence-free policies. In particular, policymakers have ignored the fact that underachievement is concentrated in schools…

Describes "Reading Clubs," a program designed and carried out by two first-grade teachers in which small groups of students (primarily second-language learners) thought to be at risk for failure were coached daily. Notes that 19 of the targeted 23 students were successful enough to move with their peers to second grade. (SR)

Describes a summer school English-as-a-Second-Language classroom that uses a content-rich whole language curriculum. Highlights experiences that were successful in facilitating literacy development, including reading experiences, writing experiences, talking and reading, and talking and writing. Discusses the effectiveness of the instructional…

Describes the sociocultural context of Greek education, especially foreign language learning, as well as teaching practices and approaches. Describes a foreign language program (Teaching English) in a Greek preschool, and notes positive reactions to the program. (SR)

Presents a brief overview of research and theory associated with providing second-language learners with instruction in their primary language. Describes five general strategies for providing bilingual students with first-language support. Notes that the examples come from teachers who have a strong commitment to supporting the development of all…

Discusses and dispels four myths about second-language education. Shows that ample evidence favors bilingualism, bilingual education, and literacy in children's native languages as the means to help children grow academically. Offers "best practices" recommendations regarding program, methods, materials, and parental involvement. (SR)

This article shares the research-based instructional techniques used in a reading program (Reading Acceleration Program, or RAP) in a school in which the majority of the students were English-language learners and came from low-income families. In this model, special education and general education teachers collaborated in order to intervene on…