A balanced, comprehensive reading program would include several components, but I will discuss two of the most important for my students.
One of the most important components of the reading program is explicit instruction in reading comprehension strategies such as analyzing a text in terms of its text structure, purpose, etc., drawing conclusions based on evidence from a text, and summarizing texts in their own words.
It’s also essential to explicitly teach them metacognitive comprehension skills such as self-monitoring (asking yourself questions as you read).
Providing explicit instruction in comprehension strategies is effective in promoting English learners’ literacy development because it provides them with the tools they need to be able to construct meaning as they read. It also helps them become more independent as readers, which is essential as they transition to mainstream coursework.
Another important component of a balanced, comprehensive reading program is giving English learners opportunities to practice their reading skills and really develop a love of reading.
Age-appropriate texts that relate in meaningful ways to the students’ life experiences are essential. Teachers of any subject can include both fiction and nonfiction texts in their curriculum and develop interdisciplinary units with other content-area teachers. Using meaningful texts is effective in promoting English literacy because the students can understand and internalize better the themes or concepts they are reading about when they already have some schema to build on.
Also, they can figure out and remember new vocabulary better when the context is familiar and when they can associate new words with things they already know.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, using engaging meaningful texts motivates English learners to want to read more and to enjoy reading!