Dual Language Learners (DLLs)—students from homes in which a language other than only English is spoken—are a vastly heterogeneous student population. Indeed, DLLs’ home and English language proficiency vary widely. Reading in English builds on English language skills, so it may seem unsurprising that DLLs who are in the process of acquiring English language proficiency tend to persistently show lower English reading achievement than their English-proficient peers. However, it is also the case that the vast majority of DLLs are U.S.-born and have been instructed in predominantly English-only contexts since formal school entry. Thus, the national English reading achievement profile of DLLs raises serious questions of equity, centered on the extent to which DLLs’ language needs in the service of reading achievement are effectively being met. In this talk, Jeanette Mancilla-Martinez will discuss the many parallels between the underlying process of English reading development among English-proficient students and DLLs acquiring English proficiency while attending to unique developmental considerations for best supporting DLLs’ reading development and achievement.
