Chapter 6: Effective Practices for English Language Learners in Kindergarten and Implications for Policy

Based on a year-long case study of a kindergarten teacher, this chapter identifies effective practices for kindergarten English language learners (ELLs). We describe these effective practices in the context of educational policies at the local, state, and national levels that influence the teacher’s classroom instruction. Data analyzed for the study consisted of teacher interviews, audio tapes of weekly classroom observations over the period of nine months, field notes based on these observations, and classroom materials used to support ELLs. Results show five effective classroom practices: activating prior knowledge and building background, use of ELLs’ home language, language development, language and content integration.