5F) Interactive reading
Engage in interactive (i.e., dialogic) reading by asking open-ended questions, prompting children for narrative retell, and modeling and supporting language and content comprehension skills.
Resource Guide: A Deeper Look at Early Literacy
This interactive guide offers a comprehensive approach to literacy for Multilingual Learners. It is an overview of the language and literacy skills and instruction that children need at different stages of development. Common literacy terms are defined, instructional strategies are offered, and a picture of instruction, aligned across the grades is explained.Read More
Video: Engaging with Text and Narrative
This video begins by highlighting chants, songs, and intentional conversation that teachers facilitate to help young Multilingual Learners (MLs) to develop oral language. Further examples demonstrate how oral language can then transfer to written language and early reading opportunities. It is important for MLs to use developing literacy skills in authentic, print-rich learning contexts, where they feel ownership for their learning and knowledge.Read More
Strategy Overview: Creating Anchor Charts with Sticky Note Responses from Young Readers
This article is a description of an instructional strategy to use sticky notes with young readers as a means to co-construct anchor charts about reading. Sticky notes provide flexibility since they can be moved around, and children can both write or draw on them.Read More
Website Article: Selecting Texts for Strategy Teaching with English Language Learners in Mind
This article reviews multiple ways that teachers can think about text selection to provide additional supports for Multilingual Learners. Pairing texts by similar theme or text structure are two examples discussed in the article.Read More
Website Article: Retelling and English Language Learners
This article reminds teachers of the hard work that is involved when first-grade Multilingual Learners are asked to retell stories. Specific prompts and supports can facilitate students in participating and developing both language and literacy skills during this key instructional activity.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Using Reciprocal Teaching to Engage 3rd-Grade Readers
This video shows Multilingual Learners in a 3rd-grade classroom engaged in reciprocal teaching. This small group interaction helps structure student-led discussions about a text and bolster reading comprehension. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Strategy Overview: Narrative Input
After a shared reading of a text, students retell, act out, and/or capture key vocabulary and content information with a variety of experiences. This multi-day strategy builds on student's storytelling and oral language skills.Read More
Video: Juicy Sentence Example with Butterflies (K)
This video is an example of a teacher facilitating a "juicy sentence" discussion with a group of kindergarteners learning about butterflies. The juicy sentence strategy helps Multilingual Learners access complex text through the study of a mentor sentence.Read More
Webinar: Supporting Dual Language Learners in the PreK Classroom
In this webinar, presenters discuss several strategies for supporting Multilingual Learners’ oral language and literacy development. Strategies include gathering information on children’s language and cultural background from families and talking with them about their language and learning goals for their children. Presenters also discuss how to display labels and functional print in multiple languages in the classroom, select content-specific words from texts and incorporate them into instruction, incorporate songs, and engage in interactive reading.Read More
App: Ready DLL
This mobile app is a comprehensive resource that teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners. It includes specific guidance on including labels and other functional print in both languages, engaging in interactive reading, and integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking in multiple languages. The app also helps teachers learn key words and phrases in children’s home languages (Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, and Haitian Creole), and provides links to articles, tip sheets, videos, and webinars.Read More
Webinar: Supporting English Learner Students in the Early Grades
This link includes two webinars that share practical strategies for teachers to support the literacy and language development of Multilingual Learners in the early grades. The first webinar is "Scaffolding Emergent Reading, Oral Language, and Writing for Dual Language Learners/English Learners in PreK–1st Grade," and the second is "Language & Literacy Development in PreK–1st Grade: Words and More."Read More
Tip Sheet: Storytelling Chart
This resource describes how teachers can engage in interactive reading with children. Examples include prompting children to retell story elements and supporting content comprehension through visual representations.Read More
Video: Dialogic Reading Strategy- 2nd grade
The teacher demonstrates how multiple interactive reads of a key content-based text supports the literacy, oral language, and vocabulary development of the Multilingual Learners in the class. She explains academic and content-specific words and structures opportunities for students to elaborate on their thinking.Read More
Video: Dialogic Reading Strategy- Kindergarten
The teacher demonstrates how multiple interactive reads of a key content-based text supports the literacy and English language development of the Multilingual Learners in the class. She explains and reinforces target words and provides explicit instruction on book concepts and vocabulary.Read More
Strategy Overview: Deconstructing Text
This guide supports teachers in modeling and facilitating the analysis of written texts. Deconstructing texts supports learners' comprehension and deepens their understanding of how formal, written language is structured.Read More
Strategy Overview: Dialogic Read Aloud
This guide supports teachers in reading texts aloud and engaging learners in a discussion about them. Through planned activities before, after, and during the reading, children learn and internalize the practices that readers use, and develop skills of analytic talk.Read More
Video: Dialogic Read Aloud
In this video, a teacher explains how to engage Multilingual Learners in interactive reading. This video provides a demonstration of a dialogic read aloud in which a teacher reads a text multiple times, asking children open-ended questions, prompting children to retell, and modeling comprehension skills.Read More
Strategy Overview: Dialogic Read Aloud
This resource provides a detailed explanation of how teachers can engage in interactive reading with Multilingual Learners through dialogic read-aloud. This resource also includes a planning template for teachers to think about which books they will share with children and how they will share them.Read More
Tip Sheet: Interactive Read Alouds
This handout for families reviews strategies for interactive reading at home. Information about how to ask questions, and engage in conversations with children while reading at home, will help support literacy development for Multilingual Learners.Read More
Video: Anchor Texts
In these videos, teachers discuss the importance of having an anchor text and using target words throughout the day. The videos also show how to engage in interactive reading and explain vocabulary words before, during, or after reading.Read More
