Reading in Upper Elementary, Middle, and High School
Although Colorín Colorado was originally designed for students in grades PreK-3, much of the information on this web site is also relevant for middle and high school students. English language learners (ELLs) enter U.S. schools in all grade levels, and with a wide range of backgrounds, reading skills, English language proficiency, and content knowledge. Older ELLs (and their teachers) face many of the same challenges as ELLs in the early grades.
We encourage you to browse this web site and glean any information, suggestions, or resources that are relevant to your situation. Here are some resources you may find useful:
Reading Tip Sheets for ELLs in Grades 4-12
Colorín Colorado and the American Federation of Teachers have collaborated to develop new tip sheets focused on reading instruction for educators of English language learners in grades 4-12. These tip sheets include information on what to do first, vocabulary instruction, and age-appropriate reading strategies. They are available in English and Spanish.
Teaching Reading and Adolescent Literacy
Although the Teaching Reading section is geared to the earlier grades, it may still prove helpful. Many older ELLs may still need explicit instruction with basic skills such as reading comprehension, and developing depth and breadth of vocabulary. Be sure to adjust strategies and reading materials so that they are age-appropriate for your students. It is important to find texts, books, and poetry that may have lower reading levels, but are still age appropriate in terms of interest, content, and appearance.
The articles in our Adolescent Literacy section provide excellent strategies for helping ELLs develop the skills they need in order to "read to learn" during the middle school and high school years. See our sister site, AdLit.org, for more great ideas!
Teaching Content Areas
As a teacher of ELLs, you often teach English through content. Yet you also have to make grade-level academic content accessible to ELLs without watering it down. The strategies in this section suggest ways in which you can provide your ELLs with additional support in learning content areas such as math, science, social studies, and language arts. A number of Bright Ideas focused on specific content areas are also included.
Webcast: English Language Learners in Middle and High School
Featuring Dr. Deborah Short, this webcast discusses effective instructional strategies for teaching ELLs students in middle and high school, and provides an overview of the SIOP model. Recommended readings, discussion questions, a transcript, and related links complement this webcast.
Bright Ideas
Educators from across the country have discovered excellent ways to tackle some common classroom stumbling blocks. This section includes their step-by-step suggestions on how to handle issues that affect middle and high school ELLs in the classroom, such as:
- How to Support ELL Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFEs)
- Getting Ready for College: What ELL Students Need to Know
For additional information and resources on upper grades, take a look at our monthly electronic newsletter, the T·ELL·E-GRAM. It offers research-based support and field-tested ideas to preK-12 educators of ELLs.