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Interventions for Elementary School English Language Learners: Increasing English Language Acquisition and Academic Achievement

Systematic reviews of evidence in this topic address the following questions:

• Which interventions for elementary school English Language Learners (ELLs) increase the English language and academic outcomes of these students
• Are some interventions more effective than others for certain types of outcomes?
• Are there common components of these interventions that are more effective than others?
• Are some interventions more effective for certain types of students?

Topic Focus

English language learners are among the most academically at-risk groups in our schools today and their numbers will rise steadily in the near future. On average, ELL students receive lower grades, score below their classmates on standardized reading and mathematics tests, and are often judged by their teachers as academic "underachievers." According to annual state education agency survey data, more than 4.6 million ELLs were enrolled in the K–12 education system in 2000–2001. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) review focuses on interventions designed to improve the English language literacy or academic achievement of elementary school students who are English language learners.

Key Definitions

English Language Learners. Students with a primary language other than English who have a limited range of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in English.

English Language Skills. These skills include speaking and listening fluency, in addition to the academic outcomes of reading and writing.

Academic Outcomes. Achievement in areas such as reading, mathematics, and science. Reading outcomes may include measures of phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Math outcomes may include measures of content knowledge (number sense, properties, and operations; measurement; geometry and spatial sense; data analysis, statistics, and probability; and algebra and functions) as well as an understanding of mathematical concepts, procedures, and problem solving. Similarly, science outcomes may include measures of content knowledge (earth, physical, and life sciences) and an understanding of concepts, scientific investigation, and practical reasoning.