Teaching English language learners at risk for reading disabilities to read: Putting research into practice

The purpose of this article is to describe features of interventions that are empirically validated for use with first-grade students at risk for reading disabilities who are English language learn-ers (ELLs) and whose home language is Spanish. The empirical evidence supporting these interventions is summarized. Interventions for improving oral language and reading abilities with struggling readers who are ELLs taught in either Spanish or English are described as a means to assist school districts and teachers in defining and implementing effective interven-tions for ELLs at risk for reading difficulties. The interventions described may be useful to educators seeking information about Response to Intervention as a means of identifying ELLs who require services for learning disabilities. Special education identification, placement, and instruction decisions for students who are English language learners (ELLs) have been largely based on research and practices used with monolingual students with disabilities (Artiles & Ortiz, 2002). For many ELLs with disabilities, these special education decisions may be problematic because they lac