Strategies to Assist English Language Learners in Accessing the Common Core Standards

The New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy (CCLS/ELA) offer a number of advances or shifts in instruction for the teaching of English language arts across the content areas. First and foremost, they were developed to ensure that all students are college and career ready by the end of 12th grade. With this in mind, they contain sets of Anchor Standards in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language that are consistent across all grade levels and promote an integrated model of literacy. However, as indicated in the introduction of the CCLS/ELA document, the methods, materials, and instructional interventions necessary to foster academic growth with students who are English language learners (ELLs) are not specified.