Leveraging a Spanish Literacy Intervention to Support Outcomes of English Learners

Over 11 million students enter school speaking a language other than English. Due to their emerging English proficiency, many English Learners (ELs) struggle with English literacy, which impacts their overall achievement in school. However, there is evidence that ELs who have solid skills in their native language are able to apply their understanding to their learning in English. Thus, it is critical to understand how Spanish literacy interventions used in schools affect the English literacy outcomes of struggling ELs. The purpose of this study was to determine how a Spanish phonics-based literacy intervention, used during Tier 2 of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS), affects ELs’ literacy skills in Spanish and English. Overall, a positive growth trend was noted on all literacy measures in both languages, while statistically significant results were obtained for Spanish and English phonics. Given the positive impact on students’ Spanish and English literacy development, native language instruction and interventions should be provided to struggling ELs. Other implications include the need for teacher preparation in the area of bilingual education as well as the implementation of culturally responsive reading interventions in the students’ native language to assist them in bridging the literacy achievement gap.