The Literacy Gaps

Additional Book Details

<p>"The book makes a contribution to the education of English language learners. It provides practical instructional suggestions for teachers of both ELLs and SELs that are informed by a deep understanding of theories of second language and second dialect acquisition and the development of reading and writing proficiencies."<br/>—Guadalupe Valdés, Professor of Education<br/>Stanford University</p><p>"The concepts of gaps and bridges are clearly articulated up front and provide a well-structured theme that unites the various parts of the text. The use of this structure provides a logical and coherent mechanism for providing a complete picture of the problem—the literacy gap between ELs and native speakers—and a means for addressing this problem."<br/>—Kristina Anstrom, Senior Research Scientist<br/>The George Washington University Center for Equity and Excellence in Education</p><p>Build bridges of support so English language learners can learn alongside their peers!<br/><br/>English language learners (ELLs) and standard English learners (SELs) face multiple gaps as they strive to achieve, so educators need to take a holistic, comprehensive approach to bridge those gaps and meet the needs of ELLs and SELs in the classroom.</p><p>Based on an original, well-researched framework, this much-needed resource provides practical strategies for supporting learning and success for ELLs. The authors provide strategies, examples, and classroom tools to address:</p>The gap between students and texts: covering word recognition, background knowledge, comprehension, and academic language developmentThe gap between students and teachers: including socio-cultural differences between teachers and students, and teacher perceptions and expectationsThe gap between students and their peers: discussing language proficiency differences, grouping strategies, and grade-level and schoolwide programs<p>The Literacy Gaps helps educators give ELLs the skills they need to close the most important gap of all: the achievement gap.</p>