Word Work Strategies

History

Six and seven year old students were instructed half of the day in English and half of the day in Spanish in a 1st grade dual-language program. 19/21 students were learning English as a second language (EL students). Out of the 19 EL students, 13 were below grade level for reading and writing.

They were born speaking Spanish, learning in Spanish, living in Spanish. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, these students missed half of Kindergarten, half of a year of speaking English, learning in English, living in English. The purpose of a dual language environment is for students to foster their home language of Spanish while learning the dominant language of English. Only 20% of their life had been in English; they needed to learn HOW to learn in English before they could even begin learning the language. Due to a high need for recognizing the English alphabet and sounds in the English language; the ability to fluently decode English text was affected for these children.

When students understand how to problem solve and decode words by applying strategies they have obtained, they will grow as readers, and likely grow in confidence, too. Teaching a student resilience--how to continue trying even when it is hard--requires students to be confident in themselves. Fear of illiteracy or unknowing how to sound out words when the teacher always says to “sound out the words you do not know” can overtake and shut down a student. The moments when a child, teenager, or adult feels defeated is remembered. Maybe they do not even know how to sound out a word or letter. Through appropriate-leveled word work strategies such as the ones referenced in this study and synthesized in my literature review, educators can help to influence more fluent, confident readers as they continue to grow and develop.