Common Strategies Used by Kindergarten Teachers to Instruct Reading to English-as-a-Second-Language Students

This research was designed to describe, analyze, and interpret what reading strategies experienced kindergarten teachers believe are essential to instruct English-as-a-Second-Language learners how to read. Through in-depth interviews, experienced kindergarten teachers were given a voice to describe what they consider essential reading strategies to instruct English-as-a-Second-Language learners to learn how to read. The participants were four licensed, non-probationary kindergarten teachers instructing reading in English to a minimum of 51% English-as-a-Second-Language population. Selected kindergarten programs were consistent in program design. Processes were influenced by the gateway approach. The stories teachers told about their experiences in teaching ELLs how to read was a means to connect with narrator experiences. The excerpted narratives for each participant required an understanding of the narrator\u27s story in the context of their environment, their experience, and through the salient stories they shared. Patterns were discovered and shared in excerpted narratives and ultimately global themes were derived. Finally, this study has provided kindergarten teachers and administrators with practical knowledge regarding what is essential to instruct reading to English Language Learners in kindergarten