Best Practices in ELL Instruction

Guofang Li, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Senior Researcher at the Literacy Achievement Research Center at Michigan State University, where she teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral courses in second-language and literacy education. Her research focuses on ESL/ELL education, family and community literacy, and Asian American education. Dr. Li has been honored with the Early Career Award from Division G, Social Context of Education, of the American Educational Research Association, among other awards. Her books include the authored volume Culturally Contested Pedagogy, which won the Edward B. Fry Book Award from the National Reading Conference. Patricia A. Edwards, PhD, is University Distinguished Professor of Language and Literacy at Michigan State University, where she is also Senior Researcher at the Literacy Achievement Research Center. Her research addresses issues of culture, identity, equity, and power that affect families and schools. Dr. Edwards is a recipient of the Teacher-Scholar Award and the Distinguished Faculty Award from MSU. She served as the first African American President of the National Reading Conference and as President (2010-2011) of the International Reading Association. She is the author of two nationally acclaimed family literacy programs and a number of books.

Informative chapters by well-known authors address a variety of topics related to classroom practice, and provide a useful mix of theory and application. Many of the chapters include useful tools that can be adapted for the reader’s own purposes. An additional strength of the book is the attention it gives to often-ignored areas such as ELLs in special education, teacher professional development, and parent and family considerations. Highly valuable for teacher education courses and practicing teachers.--Robert Rueda, PhD, Stephen H. Crocker Professor of Education, University of Southern California This is exactly the text I've been looking for to use in my undergraduate teacher education and master's-level certification courses. It has a great blend of theory and teacher-tested strategies for working with a variety of ELLs. I especially appreciate the chapters on ELLs with disabilities and Native Americans, two populations overlooked in most textbooks, as well as the broad span of grade levels and ages represented across the chapters. I am thrilled to see sound research and practical strategies presented in a manner that will be so accessible to our preservice teachers.--Margarita Jimenez-Silva, EdD, College of Teacher Education and Leadership, Arizona State University Best Practices in ELL Instruction is a rich, invaluable resource for teacher educators, literacy specialists, and, most important, classroom teachers. Leading ESL and bilingual education experts address relevant research, theory, strategic teaching, special populations, and teacher preparation. Both scholarly and accessible, this book is certain to become a classic in the field of language teaching and learning.--Yvonne S. Freeman, PhD, Department of Language, Literacy, and Intercultural Studies, University of Texas at Brownsville -

• 1.From Firefighting to Systematic Action, Adding “Surprise” to the Mix, Historical Roots: Evaluation, Planning, and System Behavior, From Explaining Surprise to Dealing with It, Development Path of This Book, Guiding Principles, How to Read This Book, In Sum 2. Structure of the Unexpected, Where Does Surprise Come From? Beyond Simple Distinctions, In Sum.