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To help English learners become readers, focus on phonics

by PRP Group, on 01/21/2022

the edvocate prpEnglish learners can become English readers and writers quickly by emphasizing their assets, focusing on phonics, and delivering appropriate interventions.

At Somerton Elementary School District No. 11 in Arizona, approximately 88% of our students are Hispanic or Latino. English language learners make up about 30% of the student population, though that number only tells part of the story. Home language surveys show that about 80% of Somerton’s students live in homes where another language is spoken, usually Spanish. Furthermore, the English language learners are concentrated in our earliest grades—the same years when their peers are learning to read and write English—because young children tend to learn languages very quickly and leave the ELL designation behind.

Teaching students with such varied experiences in English and Spanish to read and write can be challenging, but at Somerton, we manage by focusing on structured English immersion, phonetics, and intervention.

Read more at the Edvocate!

Topics:Education Press