Current educational policies set up expectations that
students who enter school speaking another language
other than English, must perform at the same level as
their English monolingual peers. Examining reading
development in an environment that supports primary
language development while learning a second language
is an important consideration and is often ignored
when addressing how English learners learn to read in
a second language. It is important to understand how
pre-reading development occurs among these students,
particularly in a dual language education context.
This book provides information about basic
pre-reading development in two languages such that
teachers are better able to meet the needs of a
diverse student population. Additionally, findings
from the study may have the utility to be used across
different program models (i.e., English only,
transitional and dual language education) in terms of
instruction. More importantly, it is crucial for
scholars, policymakers, and teachers to understand
the pre-reading trajectories of diverse students to
better understand how they learn to read in their
primary language as well as acquire a second
language.
students who enter school speaking another language
other than English, must perform at the same level as
their English monolingual peers. Examining reading
development in an environment that supports primary
language development while learning a second language
is an important consideration and is often ignored
when addressing how English learners learn to read in
a second language. It is important to understand how
pre-reading development occurs among these students,
particularly in a dual language education context.
This book provides information about basic
pre-reading development in two languages such that
teachers are better able to meet the needs of a
diverse student population. Additionally, findings
from the study may have the utility to be used across
different program models (i.e., English only,
transitional and dual language education) in terms of
instruction. More importantly, it is crucial for
scholars, policymakers, and teachers to understand
the pre-reading trajectories of diverse students to
better understand how they learn to read in their
primary language as well as acquire a second
language.