I Read It, But I Don’t Understand It: The Etiology of Reading Comprehension of English Language Learners

Nonie K. Lesaux

Despite low academic achievement among English language learners (ELLs) in the US, particularly with increased years of schooling, few studies have investigated the nature of reading comprehension development of this population. The purpose of this study is to examine, both concurrently and longitudinally, the relationship between oral language and literacy skills as they relate to reading comprehension performance for a group of native Spanish-speakers developing literacy skills in English. The proposed study will examine the degree to which Spanish and English oral language and word reading skills predict specific aspects of English reading comprehension performance in the middle elementary years. The participants of the study are Spanish-speaking fourth graders enrolled in an urban, public school district in the southwest U.S., and who have completed a transitional bilingual education program. The children will be assessed using a battery of language and literacy measures in Spanish and English in the spring of third and fourth grades. The analyses conducted will examine the relationships among, and relative influence of, English and Spanish language and literacy skills to English reading comprehension. Findings will inform intervention efforts for ELLs who are beyond the primary grades, and for whom reading comprehension is central to academic achievement.

About Nonie K. Lesaux

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