Book review: Literacy instruction for English language learners pre-K–2

Adrian Copping, University of Cumbria, reviews the book 'Literacy instruction for English language learners pre-K–2' by Diane M. Barone and Shelley Hong Xu (Guildford Press, 2008, 278 pp., ISBN-13 978-1-59385-602-1).

Literacy instruction for English language learners pre-K–2 is a very comprehensive digest of language development punctuated by practical suggestions and advice. Barone and Xu are both teacher educators in the USA. This is worth bearing in mind upon reading as some of the terminology is certainly rooted in that context. However, the principles underpinning this work and the pragmatism with which it is written make it accessible to a much wider audience. The book is logically structured, beginning by encouraging the reader to think more holistically about how classrooms can be created to engage learners. The authors then consider English language learners’ developmental journey through oral language development into proficiency in written English. Barone and Xu also deal with the reading processes of decoding and composition and finish very helpfully with some case studies of their ideas in practice and the effects the strategies they advise have on children’s learning.