Teaching Reading to English Language Learners: Differentiating Literacies

Guiding teachers on how to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students, celebrated authors, Socorro Herrera,

Della Perez and Kathy Escamilla stress that meaning and relevance must be at the basis for all instructional activities and strategies in order to effectively develop oral and written language. In their newest book, the authors blend theory and practice that provides grade level and ESL teachers with the tools they need to differentiate literacy instruction for all students.

Dr. Herrera serves as a professor of Elementary Education at Kansas State University and directs the Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy (CIMA) in the College of Education and her research focuses on literacy opportunities with culturally and linguistically diverse students, reading strategies, and teacher preparation for diversity in the classroom. Dr. Herrera has recently published two books with Allyn and Bacon, Mastering ESL and Bilingual Methods: Differentiated Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (2005) and Assessment Accommodations for Classroom Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (2007). Dr. Herrera has also authored articles for numerous nationally known journals such as the Bilingual Research Journal, Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, Journal of Research in Education, and the Journal of Latinos and Education.

Dr. Perez serves as an assistant professor of Elementary Education at Kansas State University and is the Associate Director of Undergraduate Programming at the Center for Intercultural and Multilingual Advocacy (CIMA) in the College of Education and her research has focused on literacy development and instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students and parental involvement. Dr. Perez has published The Five Components of Reading Development: A Classroom Teacher’s Guide to Scaffolding Reading Instruction for ELL Students (2006) and ELL Literacy Interventions: Accommodations and Acceleration for Reading Success (2005). Dr. Herrera has also co-authored a book chapter for Culturally responsive teacher education: Language, curriculum, and community (2008).

Kathy Escamilla is a Professor of Education at the University of Colorado, Boulder.  She has been a bilingual teacher, program administrator and professor for over 37 years.  She helped to develop the Spanish reconstruction of Reading Recovery (Descubriendo La Lectura) which was published in the book “”Instrumento de observación de los logros de la leco-escritura inicial.” (Heinemann).  She has done extensive research in the area of literacy for Spanish speaking children in the U.S. and has authored over 40 journal articles in this area.  She served two terms as the President of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) and works as a technical assistant and consultant for Bilingual/ESL programs nationwide.