Stop Calling Them Struggling Readers: Emergent Bilinguals Deserve Better

By José Viana, Ed.D. , Senior Education Advisor (Multilingual Learners) at Lexia 

Emergent Bilingual students (also called English language learners or English learners) comprise about 10.6% of public school students in the United States — approximately 5.3 million students. Unfortunately, those students are often subjected to a deficit narrative that hampers their engagement and academic progress.

Even with the best of intentions, continually viewing these students as “struggling readers” encourages low expectations. Plus, many students realize that they’re perceived as “not measuring up,” which can lead to challenging or disruptive behaviors as well as disengagement from learning.

It’s time to rewrite the narrative, and instruction, by grounding it in research and respect.

Disrupting the Deficit Narrative

Viewing student differences as assets, not deficits, is key to ensuring educational equity for an increasingly diverse student population. But that’s easier said than done. Even the English proficiency benchmarks in federal and state accountability systems pressure educators to focus on what students lack.

What’s often missed is that navigating two language systems provide Emergent Bilingual students with an incredible foundation for success. Research shows that speaking more than one language boosts communication skills, memory, focus as well as decision-making and analytical skills. Additionally, dual-language learners’ brains show accelerated growth in the left hemisphere, (the area associated with reading, comprehension, and language).

What’s more, people who speak more than one language have a competitive advantage for employers in today’s globalized workforce. In fact, bilingual employees are paid 5-20% more per hour than single-language speakers.

Applying Asset-Based Instruction

Students can learn English by building on what they know and can do in their heritage language. Unfortunately, traditional reading products don’t take this approach. Instead, many contain “simplified” content with less-than-robust instruction that does not engage students’ higher-order thinking skills. Additionally, the content does not reflect Emergent Bilingual students’ realities, so they find it less relevant and engaging.

Lexia has made a point of supporting Emergent Bilingual students through science of reading-aligned and culturally affirming instruction. Our programs’ illustrations, photographs, and texts depict diverse characters, so each learner can see themselves on the screen. What’s more, every character is bilingual, inspiring learners with images of who they are becoming. 

Those characters were one of the reasons Uncommon Schools, a charter public school operator in Brooklyn, adopted Lexia English Language Development™. Dr. Jiel Joseph, Uncommon Schools’ senior regional manager of special education and English language learners, believed students would be more engaged if they worked with characters that looked like them. 

Her hypothesis was proved right. During the 2023-2024 school year — the first year of full implementation — 80% of Uncommon School students moved up at least one proficiency band on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), compared to 37% the prior year.

Here’s another example: that same school year, Mason Intermediate School in Ohio chose Lexia® Core5® Reading to address post-pandemic literacy learning gaps for both Emergent Bilingual students and native English-speaking elementary students. By the end of the year, 40% of students advanced at least one grade level of material in the program. 

Updating Learning Approaches 

Rather than Emergent Bilingual students needing to slow their literacy learning to gain English language proficiency, Lexia’s approach proves both processes can be tackled simultaneously. When educators focus on Emergent Bilingual students’ potential and adopt the growth mindset orientation of asset-based instruction, those students can soar.