Best Practice for ELLs: Small Group Interventions

The U.S. Department of Education recommends teachers use intensive small-group instruction to teach reading to English learners (ELs). The instruction should include the five core reading elements: phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This article presents strong research evidence to support this recommendation. It provides instructions for how to implement the recommendation. The article also addresses possible roadblocks teachers may face when implementing small-group instruction and suggests solutions to overcome these.