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Language Diversity and Literacy Development: Increasing Opportunities-to-Learn in Urban Middle Schools

Type: William T. Grant Scholars

Start Date: September 2007

End Date: August 2012

Grant Amount: $520,000

Person Affiliation(s): Nonie Lesaux

Organization: President and Fellows of Harvard College

How can urban middle schools increase opportunities for English Language Learners (ELLs), specifically focusing on building capacity in the school system to promote these students’ literacy development? The majority of the research on reading development and instruction has focused on children from majority-culture backgrounds, who are generally native speakers of English and often from middle-class backgrounds. Those studies that have concentrated on ELLs have focused predominantly on the language of instruction, rather than the elements of high quality reading instruction. The researcher seeks to examine the effectiveness and key elements of a vocabulary instruction program when used in 6th grade classrooms with populations of ELLs and their classmates. This project will also investigate classroom- and school-level facilitators and barriers to the implementation and sustained use of the program.

Focus Areas of this Grant

Age Range of Participants: 11 - 13

Topic Area: Education/Education Policy

Gender: Male, Female

Income: Low Income/Working Poor

Location: Urban

Race/Ethnicity: Asian, Black or African American, Latino or Hispanic, White, Other Race/Ethnicity

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