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Karen Spangenberg-Urbschat & Robert Pritchard, Editors
A Book Review by Sarah Nixon-Ponder

The editors launch into this nine-chapter book, published by the International Reading Association in 1994, by stating three purposes for compiling it: to reexamine and integrate the organizing instruction and reinforcing student learning; and to provide tangible examples of practical ways in which teachers can produce and guide instructional practices that are authentic, meaning-centered, and learner-centered. These three purposes form the framework of Kids Come in All Languages: Reading Instruction for ESL Students.

Section One on Issues takes an in-depth look at the concerns that most teachers in the United States will be facing (or in many cases, already are) in the near future. Lara addresses the rapidly rising number of culturally and linguistically diverse students in the American school system and calls for a re-thinking of how teachers have conducted their classrooms in the past. Acceptance of students' home language, ethnicity and culture as a prerequisite for teachers who teach non-mainstream students is examined in Cort‚s' "multiculturation model." The section concludes with a discussion by Cummins on second language acquisition.

Section Two, Organizing for Instruction, examines the most important elements teachers are faced with as they prepare for instruction. Altwerger and Ivener illustrate the connection between ESL students' level of achievement and their level of self-esteem through a whole language perspective. Chamot and O'Malley introduce instructional methods that have been proven to be effective in meeting the needs of ESL students. Allen completes this section on instruction with a review of authentic materials from various categories, as well as a detailed bibliography and criteria for selecting high-quality pieces.

Section Three concentrates on Instructional Practices. Activities and materials that integrate reading and writing are addressed by Farnan, Flood and Lapp. Schifini confronts the issues of vocabulary comprehension and development within expository text, and Garc¡a recommends implementations for authentic assessment.

Though the title of this books suggests that it was written for ESL teachers of schoolchildren, we believe that with very few modifications, its ideas and suggestions are applicable for all teachers. Following are some instructional practices that could be implemented into any ABE, GED® or adult ESL classroom with ease.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIVENESS TO STUDENT DIVERSITY

• Collect information on the students' literacy skills in their first language
• Activate students' prior knowledge, using their culture as a context
• Read daily to students
• Model and teach learning strategies explicitly
• Have students read for different purposes; emphasize comprehension over pronunciation
• Teach writing at the same time as reading

POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN SELECTING MATERIALS FOR READING INSTRUCTION

• Use the students' own writing
• Make use of "real world" print
• When selecting literature, choose:
  • - concept books
  • - books with predictable features
  • - books whose illustrations support and extend meaning
  • - books that invite talk
  • - books that offer a framework for writing
  • - books that support the curriculum
  • - books that are linked to students' cultures

READING AND WRITING PRACTICES THAT SUPPORT COMPREHENSION

Reading as Preparation for Writing

• For lower-level students, use predictable books and patterned language
• Use reading, writing, and discussion
• Use multiple texts

Writing as Preparation for Reading

• Webbing, concept mapping, and semantic mapping
• Summarizing
• Dialogue journals

ASSESSING STUDENTS USING AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

• classroom observation through:
  • - anecdotal records
  • - charts with categories for checking:
    • use of oral English
    • use of written English
    • list of skills

oral miscue analysis
• - as student reads aloud, teacher notes on text:
  • repetitions
  • substitutions
  • insertions
  • omissions
  • self-corrections

story retelling
• - use of story maps with:
  • setting
  • problem or goal
  • initiating event
  • plot
  • episodes
  • resolutions

• - probe with open-ended questions to fill in blanks
• story telling or writing
  • - tell or write story in response to series of pictures, photographs or memorabilia

• tape recording oral reading
  • - do periodically
  • - have student choose and rehearse passage to read
  • - shows expressive reading and fluency

• reading response logs
  • student records responses to readings in notebook
  • teacher replies to student responses
  • good way to monitor comprehension and student's writing
  • can encourage use of native language when English doesn't come easily

• think-alouds
  • teacher models outloud how she/he works through a reading passage
  • gives insight to the types of challenges students encounter with text

• writing folders or portfolios
  • dated samples of student's written work over period of time
  • should include drafts, revisions, and final copies

• student-teacher conferences
  opportunity to set goals and discuss progress
  • can review written work
  • personal conversations
  • identify current problems with student's language acquisition

To order this book, contact the International Reading Association at 1-800-336-READ, ext. 266.
Visa and Mastercard accepted; shipping included on prepaid orders.
IRA book number 395; ISBN 0-87207-395-5.
Cost is $12; for IRA Members - $11 plus shipping/handling.

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