Emergent literacy and second language development : a case study of six English language learners in a Structured English Immersion kindergarten

This case study attempts to examine the literacy development in English of six young English language learners over the course of one academic school year. Since the passage of Proposition 227, young children who enter school with little or no English and with no first language literacy are expected to become literate in their non-native language within one to two years. The purpose of this case study is thus to examine how young English language learners develop as emergent readers and writers in English and whether these students are indeed ready for the rigors of English only programs at the conclusion of the school year