standard English, and point out differences between pronunciations of different dialects of English so
that students develop awareness of these differences. (For additional information on different dialects
of English, see chapter 9 of this ELA/ELD Framework.)
When evaluating how fluently EL students read it is critical to
consider more than reading rate. EL children can be deceptively
fast and accurate while reading aloud in English, but they may not
fully comprehend the text. A consistent focus on meaning making
ensures that EL children attend to comprehension and not just
speed. At the same time, grammatical miscues or pronunciation
differences due to second language development that do not
affect comprehension may occur. Teachers should use caution in
counting these miscues when interpreting fluency as they are a
natural part of developing English as an additional language and
may or may not be miscues in need of instructional attention.
As with all children, decisions about fluency should not be made
solely on the basis of reading rate or accuracy.
Fluency is developed when students read text that is not too
difficult but not too easy for their current level of achievement. Although engagement with complex
text is an important aspect of ELA/literacy instruction, students should have access to—and spend
considerable time with—interesting texts at their reading level in order to build fluency (Carnegie
2010). Reading volume positively impacts fluency (in addition to impacting vocabulary, knowledge, and
motivation). Furthermore, students, especially those experiencing difficulty, should continue to hear
models of fluent reading (National Institute for Literacy 2007). Thus, teachers in this grade span, as in
every grade span, read aloud to students regularly. Furthermore, students experiencing difficulty with
accuracy or automaticity components of fluency need considerable focused support to ensure their
progress in the fundamental skills of reading.
Foundational Skills for English Learners
Students who are ELs enter California schools at different ages and with varying experiences with
foundational literacy skills in their primary language and English. By the time they are in the fourth
and fifth grades, some EL students have been in U.S. schools for several years or more. Some EL
students are newcomers to English (e.g., students who are recently-arrived immigrants to the U.S.),
enter California schools after or at the very end of the primary grades, and need to develop English
foundational skills in an accelerated time frame.
Individualized programs need to be designed for EL
students in order to ensure that teachers understand
students’ background characteristics (including
proficiency in English and familiarity with English
foundational skills, literacy experiences and skills in
the primary language, and differences between the
primary language and English) so that time teaching
foundational skills is warranted and efficient.
In order to design this specialized instruction,
teachers should carefully assess EL students in both
English and their primary language, when possible, to
determine the most appropriate sequence and type of
foundational skills instruction. For example, decoding
skills that students have developed in their primary
language can be transferred to English (August and
Although engagement
with complex text is an
important aspect of
ELA/literacy instruction,
students should have
access to—and spend
considerable time with—
interesting texts at their
reading level in order to
build fluency.Individualized programs need to be
designed for EL students in order
to ensure that teachers understand
students’ background characteristics
(including proficiency in English and
familiarity with English foundational
skills, literacy experiences and skills
in the primary language, and
differences between the primary
language and English) so that
time teaching foundational skills is
warranted and efficient.Grades 4 and 5 Chapter 5 | 419