Is a Separate Block of Time for Oral English Language Development in Programs for English Learners Needed?

The issue of whether to separate English language development (ELD) into a separate instructional block or whether to integrate it with reading/language arts instruction is an unanswered question with theoretical and practical implications. We addressed this question by observing instruction across the year in 85 kindergarten classrooms that varied in (a) whether ELD was a separate block and (b) whether the program was characterized as English immersion or bilingual. Observational data indicated that classrooms with separate ELD blocks had greater percentages of instructional time devoted to oral language and literacy activities for both types of programs. In comparison to English learners in classrooms without separate ELD blocks, English learners in classrooms with separate ELD blocks had modestly but significantly higher English oral language and literacy scores on the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery, controlling for fall performance. Educational implications are discussed.