Reading intervention for English learners

English learners who struggle to read need two things at once: explicit teaching of the reading skills they are missing, and steady growth in English vocabulary and oral language. A plan that teaches only one leaves the student stuck. A plan that waits for English to "catch up" before teaching reading loses time the student cannot afford.

This guide walks through the steps with one fictional student, from first data to an 8-week check. It applies to English learners in a school's tiered system and to English learners with IEPs. The general intervention cycle is in the reading intervention guide for students with IEPs.

What you need before you start

• English language proficiency scores from the state's annual test and the student's level in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
• Home language information: which language, how much schooling in it, and whether the student reads in it.
• Screening and diagnostic data in English, such as letter sounds, decoding and oral reading fluency.
• Home language reading data, if available. Ask the bilingual staff or ESL teacher what can be given.
• A comparison group: students with similar language background and years in U.S. schools.

Step-by-step: planning the intervention

Step 1: Separate language learning from reading difficulty

Ask two questions. Does the student struggle with reading skills in the home language too? Does the student lag far behind peers with similar English exposure? A yes to either points toward a reading difficulty, not only language learning.

Example. Lucía is a fictional 2nd grader whose home language is Spanish. She attended school in Spanish through kindergarten. Her bilingual teacher finds she struggles to read simple Spanish words, which follow regular letter-sound rules. Two classmates with the same background read grade 1 English text with ease. Lucía's reading gap is not explained by English alone.

Step 2: Run the English diagnostic, then note the language factors

Use the same diagnostic you would for any student. Then mark which errors might come from language differences, such as English vowel sounds that Spanish lacks.

Example. Lucía knows 20 of 26 English letter sounds; she confuses short e and short i, which is common for Spanish speakers. She reads 6 of 20 CVC words and blends 3-sound spoken words in 7 of 10 tries. Her oral reading fluency on a grade 2 passage is 14 words correct per minute.

Step 3: Teach foundational skills explicitly

English learners benefit from the same explicit, systematic phonics and phonemic awareness instruction as other struggling readers. The What Works Clearinghouse guide on teaching English learners recommends small-group intervention for students who struggle in literacy and English language development.^[1]

Example. Lucía joins a group of 3 for 30 minutes daily: sound review, explicit teaching of short vowels with mouth position shown in a mirror, word building and decodable sentences.

Step 4: Build vocabulary and oral language every day

Decoding a word does not help much if the student does not know what it means. Add 5 to 10 minutes of vocabulary: teach the meaning of words in the decodable text, use pictures, and have students say the words in sentences. The same WWC guide recommends teaching academic vocabulary intensively across several days.^[1]

Example. Before reading "The Big Hen," the teacher shows pictures for hen, pen and nest, and students say "The hen is in the pen" to a partner.

Step 5: Use the home language as a bridge

Point out sounds and letters that work the same in both languages and those that differ. Cognates such as "animal" and "animal" or "family" and "familia" help vocabulary. You do not need to speak the language to name the patterns.

Step 6: Monitor progress against the right comparison

Probe weekly in English. Compare the student's growth with peers of similar language background, not only with national norms. Steady growth during strong instruction suggests language learning; flat growth suggests a reading difficulty that needs more intensity or an evaluation.

Worked example: 8 weeks of data

Lucía's weekly probes during intervention:

In 8 weeks Lucía gained 4 CVC words and 3 words correct per minute. Two classmates with the same language background in a similar group gained 9 and 11 words correct per minute. Combined with her difficulty reading Spanish, the team has data that her reading difficulty is not explained by language learning alone. These numbers are illustrations.

The team intensifies the intervention and, with her parents, discusses a special education evaluation. IDEA says a student may not be found eligible if the main reason for the difficulty is limited English proficiency or lack of appropriate reading instruction.^[2] Evaluations must also be given in the language most likely to yield accurate information about what the student knows and can do.^[3] Data like Lucía's helps the team address both points.

Writing goals for English learners with IEPs

Goals target reading skills, measured in the language of instruction. Language growth itself is usually addressed through English language development services, which continue alongside special education.

• Weak: Lucía will improve her English and reading.
• Better: Given 20 unpracticed CVC words with short vowels, Lucía will read 18 correctly on 3 consecutive weekly probes. See the CVC word template.
• Better: Given a picture-supported grade 2 text read aloud, Lucía will answer 4 of 5 who, what and where questions using taught vocabulary, in 3 of 4 sessions. See the listening comprehension template.

The IEP goals for English learners page has templates built for students learning English. Paste any draft into the goal checker to check it is measurable.

Common mistakes

• Weak: Wait two or three years for English to develop before starting reading intervention. Better: Start explicit reading instruction now, with vocabulary support.
• Weak: Count every short e and short i confusion as a reading error. Better: Note which errors come from sound differences and teach those sounds directly.
• Weak: Compare the student only with national fluency norms. Better: Also compare growth with peers who have similar English exposure.
• Weak: Drop English language development services when the IEP starts. Better: Keep both. The student is still learning English.
• Weak: Assume that because a student speaks English socially, academic English is solid. Better: Check vocabulary in academic text directly.
• Weak: Leave the ESL teacher out of intervention planning. Better: Plan with the ESL or bilingual teacher, and with the SLP when language concerns are part of the picture.

Working with families

Share data in the family's preferred language, with an interpreter when needed. Ask about the child's reading in the home language and early language milestones. Families can support reading in either language: reading together and talking about books in the home language builds vocabulary and knowledge that transfer.

ASHA's guidance on multilingual service delivery covers how speech-language pathologists separate language difference from disorder, which is useful when language concerns overlap with reading.^[4] The glossary entry for an English learner with an IEP explains how the two services fit together. For accommodations that support access, see ELL accommodations in the IEP. For more on the line between intervention and special education, see reading intervention vs special education. Games and centers in reading intervention games work well for extra practice once routines are clear.

Frequently asked questions

Use it in IEP Atlas

• IEP goals for English learners
• English learner with IEP in the IEP glossary
• IEP goal checker
• Phonics and decoding goals

Related guides

• Reading intervention for students with IEPs: assess, group, teach, monitor
• Reading intervention vs special education reading services
• Reading intervention games
• Accommodations for English learners with IEPs
• Tier 2 vs Tier 3 reading intervention
• Grouping students for reading intervention

Sources

1. Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
2. 34 CFR §300.306: Determination of eligibility, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
3. 34 CFR §300.304: Evaluation procedures, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
4. Multilingual Service Delivery in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology, ASHA

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.