Ells: A Case Study

Teachers can rotate or randomize who is called on to answer. 4. Use response signals so ELLs are able to monitor their own comprehension. ELLs can use the following sentence stem for this: “If I do not understand ____ I can say___” 5. Build background knowledge by utilizing visuals and a focus on language. ELLs can use this sentence stem for this purpose: “This sign says ___ it tells me ___” 6. Promote ELLs’ participation in structured reading activities. A sentence stem that ELLs could use during reading activities is: “The illustration tells me that this text is about…” 7. Promote ELLs’ participation in structured conversations and writing activities. An example of a sentence stem for ELLs can be: “The subject ___ agrees/disagrees with the

verb ___ because…”
According to Mora-Flores (2011), ELLs should be immersed in a student-centered environment in order to provide them rich language opportunities where ELLs can hear language models from different sources such as teachers, peers, books and videos. Additionally, ELLs should participate in authentic language tasks that make language comprehensible by providing them assignments to share their thinking with their classmates and to practice oral language for academic purposes (Mora-Flores, 2011). Mora-Flores (2011) proposes the following ideas to build a language-rich classroom for ELLs: Provide spaces for peer-to-peer interaction using both small and whole group settings, promote peer-to-peer interactions, pay attention to the language and knowledge that students bring to the classroom, integrate interactive read-alouds, offer shared-reading opportunities, introduce vocabulary words both orally and print, provide a rich classroom library, and promote daily independent reading.
John Seidlitz (2010) developed “sentence stems” and activities that are aligned to cross-curricular student expectations contained in the ELPS. For example, the ELPS 1 (A) indicates the use of prior knowledge and experiences to understand meanings in English. Seidlitz (2010) suggest the use of the following strategies to fulfill this objective: Anticipation guides, Know, Want to know, and Learned (KWL) charts, pretest with a partner, and free write. For this prior knowledge activity, Seidlitz (2010) suggests these “sentence stems” to assist ELLs in developing English proficiency in the content areas: “I know…”, “I want to know…”, and “This word/phrase might mean…”
The Achievement Gap
According to Howard (2010), the achievement gap refers to the discrepancy in educational outcome between various student groups in the United States, specifically finding in the low end the African American, Native American, certain Asian American, and Hispanic students while White and certain Asian American occupy the higher end of the academic performance scale. Furthermore, the achievement can be found between students regardless of color who come from low-income families and their counterparts who come from middle class and affluent families (Howard, 2010). Moreover, Garcia (2012) indicates that even when parents’ income is comparable, African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, and immigrant students whose native language is not English lag behind White students whose native language is English. The gap achievement has been documented through measures that include dropout rates and the number of students who take Advanced Placement tests, and are admitted to higher status colleges (Garcia, 2012).
Garcia and Garcia (2012) note that there is evidence indicating that the difference in achievement has its roots during the infant (toddler) and preschooler period. According to Garcia and Garcia (2012), points out the importance of the period from birth to age three, since during this time family plays an essential role in the development of children and it becomes the foundation for school readiness and school achievement patterns. The literacy-related parenting practices have been found as one of the most important differences between the home environment provided by Hispanics and Whites (Garcia & Garcia, 2012). For instance, evidence confirms that, on average, White mothers talk more to their children than Hispanic mothers and also Hispanic mothers, especially those who do not speak English as their main language at home, read less to their children than White mothers (Garcia & Garcia, 2012). Consequently, Hispanic students are already in disadvantage in regards to their White counterparts when they start kindergarten on areas such as reading readiness, math concepts, and general knowledge. Garcia and Garcia (2012) note that the achievement gap is fully formed by the end of the elementary grades, including the areas of math and reading which are essential to be successful in the secondary grades.
According to Garcia (2012), one of causes for the achievement gap between ELLs and non-ELLs is the ELLs’ failure to grasp academic language needed to be successful in the content areas such as math, science and social studies. Gándara and Contreras (2009) note that the there is a general perception about language difference being the main reason of educational difficulties for Hispanic students, and that the education crisis could be resolved if this problem is addressed. Baker (2011) cites the following as probable causes for the underachievement of ELLs in U.S. schools: competence in the majority language, socioeconomic background, poverty status and material conditions at home, racism, gender, attendance, parental support with school assignments, and the quality of education provided by their teachers and the school in which they are enrolled.
In the following paragraphs are explained the most typical reasons for ELL underachievement in U.S. schools. Baker (2011) notes that bilingualism is often seen as causing cognitive confusion. This position sees the bilingual brain with two engines working at half throttle, while the monolingual brain is considered as an engine working at full throttle (Baker, 2011). However, when two languages are well developed, then bilingualism produces cognitive advantages instead of disadvantages (Baker, 2011).
Another explanation for the underachievement of ELLs is the lack of exposure to the majority language (Baker, 2011).

Baker (2011) explains that this perception of lack of competence in the dominant language incites to the enrollment of ELLs in mainstream and transitional classrooms in order to ensure a fast conversion to the dominant language. However, this fast conversion could lead to more harm than good since it denies to the student his/her development of the home language, and frequently denies his/her identity and self-respect (Baker, 2011). Baker (2011) states that when bilingual education is well implemented it becomes the cure rather than the cause of

underachievement.
The mismatch between home and school can be seen as another explanation of ELLs’ underachievement in school (Baker, 2011). Under this perspective it is expected that the student and the family adjust to a uniform mainstream system by acquiring the language and culture that prepare the student for school (Baker, 2011). Baker (2011) points out that an alternative view implies, whenever feasible, that the school system become flexible in order to incorporate the home language and culture of ELLs. Furthermore, Baker (2011) suggests that the mismatch between the culture at home and at school could be positively addressed if the school employs “strong” forms of bilingual education such as dual language or heritage language programs as well as involving parents in the educational process of their children.
Baker (2011) states that socioeconomic factors can be considered a strong explanation for the underachievement of ELLs; however, it does not explain the reason why different language minorities exhibit different performances at school if they belong to a similar socioeconomic status.

Garcia and Garcia (2012) point out that research from the 1960’s has found that the Hispanic achievement is lower than the achievement of Whites in all or most socio-economic levels across the K-12 school years. Furthermore, Garcia and Garcia (2012) report that the within-class gaps are larger at the high socio-economic levels than at the low socio-economic

levels.
The type of school attended by ELLs is another reason for ELLs’ underachievement (Baker, 2011). According to Baker (2011), the same student will attain more if he/she is placed in a program where his/her home language is used for instruction rather than in programs where English is used to replace the home language as fast as possible. According to Cummins (2000), the educational system that suppresses the home language becomes part of the explanation for individual and group academic underachievement.
Hemphill et al. (2011) report the changes in the achievement gap between White students and Hispanic (ELLs and non-ELLs) by using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading and mathematics. The report indicates that in 1998, the gap for the fourth grade reading test between White students and non-ELL Hispanic was of 24 points and by 2009 this gap was reduced to 15 points (Hemphill et al., 2011). When comparing the performance of non-ELL Hispanic and Hispanic ELLs, the