Abstract
English language learners (ELL) make up a large percentage of the student population in California, yet they do not always perform as well as their monolingual English counterparts. They enter school without speaking the language of instruction, yet they are still expected to learn all academic subjects in a language they do not understand. The form in which ELLs are instructed and assessed to meet national and state standards is not conducive to their learning of the language. They must be able to comprehend what they are taught specifically in the area of reading. Reading comprehension is an area in which many English language learners struggle. It is important that they are given the opportunity to learn reading comprehension strategies in their native language. While this may not be realistic in classrooms at the current time, it is imperative that parents of ELLs are equipped with the resources to help their children with reading comprehension strategies in their native language. This project is a parent handbook on reading comprehension strategies for parents who speak Spanish. Parents will be able to read a book with their child in their first language and practice reading comprehension together. Sources of Data Data for the creation of the project were obtained from several resources such as journal articles, books in the field of reading comprehension, and research studies. The literature review includes research studies regarding the transfer of literacy from a first language to a second language, shared reading with English language learners, and Latino parent involvement. The parent handbook was created and influenced by resources such as books and curriculum in the area of reading comprehension and my own experience as a teacher of young children. Conclusions Reached Reading comprehension is an area in with which many English language learners struggle. They need to be provided with instruction that is effective and conducive to their reading needs. Parents can play a major role in the practice of reading comprehension strategies at home. This handbook is a tool written in Spanish for parents to guide their children through reading comprehension activities. It is also provided in English for those teachers who wish to provide this handbook to Spanish speaking parents in their classroom.