Learning to speak a second language is a complex task. Learning to read and comprehend fiction and non-fiction texts in the new language is even more complicated. Teachers can scaffold – provide needed support or accommodations for – the comprehension skills that will help English language learners to better understand what they are reading.
Help ESL Students Build Schema/Background Knowledge
Building schema means to think about and record what students already know about the topic they are about to read. The students will then add to that growing database the new knowledge they are gaining.
Students can list or make a graphic organizer, such as a web, to illustrate their growing knowledge base. But for those who need special language accommodation, drawing can also provide a means for communicating information. More advanced students can create graphic displays using computer technology to illustrate what they already know and what they are learning.
One way to scaffold for ESL students who can read in their native language is to provide access to the text in their own language prior to reading in English. Pre-reading in the native language will help ESL students to build the schema that will allow them to better understand the English text.
Make Comprehension Learning Tangible
Another strategy to help scaffold understanding is to make the language of the story as tangible as possible. This might mean bringing in visuals or actual items for the students to touch and handle.
An example, for very young students, is a reading of Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina [Harper Collins; 1968]. The teacher might bring in a stuffed monkey and baseball caps to bring the story to life.
For older students reading non-fiction texts, the teacher could make available actual objects, posters, or allow the students to access the Internet in order to build the background knowledge needed to better understand the particular text.
Use Read-Alouds to Support ESL Students’ Reading Comprehension
Read-alouds, particularly picture books, can be powerful tools for helping English language learners of any age improve both listening and reading comprehension. There are many picture books, both fiction and nonfiction, that have rich texts and substantive stories or information.
A word of caution, however: if the vocabulary and syntax of the read-aloud material is too advanced, the teacher risks students tuning out. The teacher must choose texts thoughtfully to match the students’ English language ability.
That being said, providing students with copies of the book to follow along while the teacher reads is one way to scaffold for students who are visual learners. For maximum support, the teacher can point to the words while reading. To build greater independence, the student can point to the words while the teacher reads.
Providing Visual Prompts for Book Discussions
ESL students are generally eager to use their new language and to discuss what they know and what they understand when reading. But sometimes the discussion goes too fast for them to formulate their thoughts in English. Or they may be timid, worried that they are using the wrong words.
Providing written prompts in a location where the student can easily, but discreetly, access those prompts can give ESL students the necessary scaffold to express their thoughts in a group discussion. Discussion prompts might include: I think…; It reminds me of…; I wonder…; I noticed…; I like the part when…." The teacher should explicitly teach and model how to use these and other prompts prior to posting them for use during discussions.
ESL students have a challenging task. They must learn content and conventions at the same time that they are learning to speak, understand, read, and even write their new language. Teachers can help English language learners improve reading comprehension by facilitating the building of schema, making comprehension tangible, using read-alouds, and providing written prompts for books discussions.
For more suggestions on how to support English language learners read:
Margaret M. Williams - Margaret M. Williams (Peggy) has been a teacher for over 25 years. She currently teaches first grade in a classroom that combines native ...
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