Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Reach Limited-Formal-Schooling and Long-Term English Learners [Paperback]

Yvonne S. Freeman (Author), David E. Freeman (Author), Sandra P. Mercuri (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0325002738 | ISBN-13: 978-0325002736 | Publication Date: January 31, 2002

Struggling older English learners pose a real challenge for educators. Some of these students are new arrivals with limited or interrupted schooling. Others have been in and out of ESL and bilingual programs in this country since kindergarten, but have never succeeded academically. How can teachers help older students who lack academic content knowledge and English language proficiency catch up with their classmates? Yvonne and David Freeman provide four research-based keys for closing the achievement gap.

three teachers have put this theory into practice to reach their older English learners. These teachers organize curriculum around themes, use predictable classroom routines, and scaffold instruction in a variety of ways. The clear examples from their classes will help other teachers implement effective practices for their older English learners.

Closing the Achievement Gap features:

the four keys for school success for older English learners

clear distinctions among the types of older English learners in our schools with examples of students from each category

a thorough discussion of the kinds of language proficiency older English learners need

a review of the latest research on effective practices for older English learners

detailed descriptions from the classrooms of three teachers, including thematic units they have developed, their daily routines, and the strategies they use to scaffold instruction

professional extension activities to help readers apply the information in this book to their own educational settings.

For teachers and teacher educators, program directors, resource personnel, and administrators, this book offers both the research and practice schools need to develop effective programs to educate struggling older English learners.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Sandra Mercuri is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas, Brownsville. She has over 18 years of experience in teaching in Argentina and the United States in K-12 schools and at the college level. She teaches courses in bilingual education and biliteracy and is working on research on the development of academic language across the content areas, the role of language in the development of scientific literacy and the effect of long-term professional development for teachers of English learners. She provides training for teachers nationwide and presents at national and international conferences on issues of second language acquisition and bilingualism, dual language education, teacher training and ESL strategies. Dr. Mercuri has also published articles in professional journals about bilingual learners and the application of second language theories into classroom practice in the TESOL Quarterly, Talking Points, EJLTS and the NABE journal as well as professional journals in Spanish such as GIST. Dr. Mercuri is the author of the book titled Supporting Literacy Through Science. She has also co-authored the books Closing the Achievement Gap and Dual Language Essentials with Drs. Yvonne and David Freeman and Research-based Strategies for English Language Learners with Denise Rea. Dr. Mercuri a native of Argentina is a fluent speaker of Spanish.

Yvonne S. Freeman is the coauthor or coeditor (with David E. Freeman) of ten Heinemann books, including: - La ensenanza de la lectura y la escritura en espanol y ingles en salones de clases bilingues y de doble inmersion, segunda edicion revisada (2009) - Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers (2008) - Diverse Learners in the Maintstream Classroom (2008) - Teaching Reading and Writing in Spanish and English in Bilingual and Dual Language Classrooms, Second Edition (2006) - Dual Language Essentials for Teachers and Administrators (2004) - Essential Linguistics (2004) - Closing the Achievement Gap (2002) - Between Worlds, Third Edition (2011) - Teaching Reading in Multilingual Classrooms (2000) - ESL/EFL Teaching (1998). Yvonne is a professor of bilingual education in the Department of Language, Literacy, and Intercultural Studies of the College of Education at the University of Texas - Brownsville. Yvonne and David Freeman are Heinemann Professional Development Providers.

David E. Freeman is the coauthor or coeditor (with Yvonne S. Freeman) of ten Heinemann books, including: - La ensenanza de la lectura y la escritura en espanol y ingles en salones de clases bilingues y de doble inmersion, segunda edicion revisada (2009) - Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers (2008) - Diverse Learners in the Maintstream Classroom (2008) - Teaching Reading and Writing in Spanish and English in Bilingual and Dual Language Classrooms, Second Edition (2006) - Dual Language Essentials for Teachers and Administrators (2004) - Essential Linguistics (2004) - Closing the Achievement Gap (2002) - Between Worlds, Third Edition (2011) - Teaching Reading in Multilingual Classrooms (2000) - ESL/EFL Teaching (1998). David Freeman is a professor of Reading and ESL in the Department of Language, Literacy, and Intercultural Studies of the College of Education at the University of Texas - Brownsville. David and Yvonne Freeman are Heinemann Professional Development Providers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (January 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325002738
• ISBN-13: 978-0325002736
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #251,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Closing the Achievement Gap", August 22, 2002, August 21, 2002

By 

Josefina Y. Moreno, Newcomer Teacher and grad... (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Reach Limited-Formal-Schooling and Long-Term English Learners (Paperback)

This book, "Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Reach Limited-Formal-Schooling and Long Term English Learners", is an excellent resource for teachers of older English learners with limited formal schooling or English learners with more conversational than academic fluency. Yvonne S. Freeman and David E. Freeman, professors at the Graduate School at Fresno Pacific University, describe in detail these two types of students and provide four main ideas to help teachers meet the academic needs of these struggling students. The Freemans' also cite research on effective teaching practices and describe three teachers working with these particular students in a multi-grade, a middle, and a high school classroom. All three teachers are successfully implementing research proven theories in their classroom practices to help close the achievement gap.
Overall, the Freemans' did a good job in examining each point thoroughly. The format was concise, comprehensible, and the strategies described can easily be used with my Newcomer students. I thought it was a good idea to present three different perspectives of teachers working with a range of age groups. It demonstrated that the theories and strategies presented can be effective across grade levels.
I recommend that school administrators and professors of teaching candidates also read the book for the strategies presented and for the valuable research on second language acquisition. The academic gap of struggling English learners will only continue to widen if educators and administrators do not become more knowledgeable in this area.

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful but General, August 27, 2009

By 

Second Language Reader "SLR" (New Haven, Conn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Reach Limited-Formal-Schooling and Long-Term English Learners (Paperback)

The writing style is direct and the organization is good. However, I often find with the Freeman's that their books tend to be generall and not specific enough. It is a book written for teachers teaching teachers (or researchers)who are not directly involved in the classroom.

2.0 out of 5 stars bar bar bar, May 12, 2007

By 

Rochelle Robinson "Rochelle" (San Diego) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Closing the Achievement Gap: How to Reach Limited-Formal-Schooling and Long-Term English Learners (Paperback)

The content of this book is not the problem, it is its poor organizational structure. It is redundant and organized in an unhelpful way, so that the read focusses on the repetitive statement(s), leaving the seemingly tidbits of research and theory to get lost. It's like having a simple base beat up too loud and dragging on throughout a whole album. They could have summed up the content of this book in 2-3 short articles with greater success. The content, however, was helpful!