Read-aloud
Integrating translanguaging while performing interactive read-aloud as a classroom practice will enhance literacy skills while developing competency. Teachers can read bilingual books according to the language (s) they have in the classroom and incorporate the students who speak the language (s) into the reading so they can make connections and feel included in the activity. Similarly, while performing read-aloud, students can make annotations in one language and write in another or write in one language and discuss in another. Monolingual and bilingual students will benefit from this activity because teachers can include all students in the reading and have them incorporate variations in pitch, tone, pace, and volume so the task will be enjoyable for the students while they learn.
Educators must assess English learners in their reading abilities. English learners are diverse in their school backgrounds and experiences. For this reason, teachers must know where the students are regarding reading levels in their primary language. If students show proficiency in reading in their first language, reading in the target language will be a faster transition. Students need to know how their language and English are alike and similar. The more information the teachers collect from their English learners, the better support they can provide.
Areas to consider in assessing students can be, but not limited to:
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Alphabet Awareness
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Sentence Structure
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Capitalization
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Punctuation
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Diacritical Marks
Website Resources
The following websites have different activities to incorporate in the classrooms to support ELs. Teachers can generally find reading and listening books, news, or articles at different difficulty levels on these websites. Similarly, the websites contain regular quizzes, multiple-choice quizzes, assignments for articles, reading comprehension, critical thinking challenges, and vocabulary in context.
