English Language Development

additional instructional support. Fluency rates should be cautiously interpreted with speakers of
languages other than English. In addition, fluency rates are difficult to apply to students who are deaf
and hard of hearing and use American Sign Language. When students storysign, they are actually
interpreting the story from one language (printed English) to another (American Sign Language). In
this case, fluency rates in the figure do not apply.

Figure 5.15. Mean Oral Reading Rate of Grade Four Students

Percentile Fall

WCPM*

Winter

WCPM*

Spring

WCPM*

Avg. Weekly

Improvement**

90

75

145

119

166

139

180

152

1.1

1.0

50 94 112 123 .09

25

10

68

45

87

61

98

72

.09

.08

*WCPM = Words Correct Per Minute **Average words per week growth

Source

Hasbrouk, Jan, and Gerald T. Tindal. 2006. “Oral Reading Fluency Norms: A Valuable Assessment Tool

for Reading Teachers.” The Reading Teacher 57: 646–655.

Foundational Skills for English Learners

Instruction in foundational skills for ELs should take into account various background
characteristics of individual students, including literacy experiences and skills in the primary language,
experience with foundational skills in English, and differences and similarities between English and the
primary language. See the grade span section of this chapter, particularly figure 5.7, and chapter 2
of this ELA/ELD Framework for additional guidance on providing foundational skills instruction to ELs.
This guidance is intended to provide a general overview and does not address the full set of potential
individual characteristics of EL students that needs to be taken into consideration in designing and
providing foundational literacy skills instruction (e.g., students who have changed schools or programs
frequently, or who have interrupted schooling in either their native language or English).

An Integrated and Interdisciplinary Approach

As noted throughout this framework, the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy and the CA ELD Standards
call for an integration of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In addition, these two sets of
standards are inextricably linked to every area of the curriculum. Learning subject matter demands
understanding and using its language to comprehend, clarify, and communicate concepts. The
following snapshots provide brief glimpses of the ELA/literacy strands integrated with history–social
science and science.

440 | Chapter 5 Grade 4