The Impact of a Reading Intervention for Low-Literate Adult ESL Learners

Book Description

Adult ESL programs are designed to assist students in their efforts to acquire literacy and language skills by providing instruction through local education agencies, community colleges, and community-based organizations. The content of instruction within ESL classes varies widely and there is little rigorous research that identifies effective instruction. The report, The Impact of a Reading Intervention for Low-Literate Adult ESL Learners, uses data collected from 1,137 adult ESL learners in two cohorts across ten sites in four states. Adult ESL teachers and learners were assigned by lottery to either classrooms using the basal reader Sam and Pat, Volume I , or classrooms using the site’s usual curriculum. Because learners often do not consistently attend adult ESL programs over an extended period of time, English language and reading outcomes were assessed at the beginning and end of one semester for both cohorts of students. Classroom instruction was measured via classroom obse...