ESL Literacy & Material Selection

As part of an assignment for my master's program, we had to select and evaluate reading materials for ELLs.  This was quite a challenging process, as it was my first time completing such a task!  I think there are a couple of important points to consider when selecting and evaluating reading materials for ELLs.  First, you want to make sure the text is appropriate for your students by examining content such as vocabulary, metacognition, discussion generation, and illustrations.  If your selection is a good example of these four categories, it will most likely be a good choice for your classroom.  Certain areas that may be lacking can be overcome with supplemental activities or materials, but stand alone text would be an ideal choice.

Choosing reading materials can be difficult, but choosing the correct book can set students on a lifetime of reading.  I think it is important to choose books that have a good balance of academic and social vocabulary/language that are also high interest reads.  Finding these truly great books can be a challenge, but I think well worth your search and effort.  No matter what subject or grade you teach, I think it is important to promote literacy and reading.  For second language learners, this becomes even more important as reading builds vocabulary and understanding of written grammatical structures within the language. Therefore, the more any student reads, the larger their vocabulary will be.  Grammar knowledge is later translated into writing and conversation.

To sum up, selecting materials for ELLs was a laborious process, but worth the knowledge and experience gained.  Selecting appropriate literature for any student can make a big difference and the same is true for ELLs.  Promoting literacy and reading can mean the difference in success and failure in school and beyond.

Happy reading! :-)
Sarah