Experienced literacy teachers' instructional practices with multilingual learners: benefits, challenges and adaptations in response to the science of reading

Abstract

Recent trends in literacy policy have promoted structured literacy instructional programmes, aligning with the science of reading (SOR). Concurrently, demographic trends in the United States and Europe show an increase in the number of multilingual learner students (MLs) attending public schools. Drawing on the notion of teacher agency, this paper explores the intersection of these trends, asking: How do experienced literacy teachers in varied contexts report that they respond to SOR-aligned curricula and training in their classroom instruction with MLs? Data explore the experiences of one cohort of early literacy teachers using qualitative coding to examine their responses to an online module focused on SOR instruction and MLs, as well as interview responses from a subset of five teachers. Findings illustrate patterns in teachers' responses to SOR policy and training as it relates to their classroom instruction for MLs, including (1) new learning and benefits, (2) challenges and (3) off-script modifications. We argue findings provide a needed picture of practice, offering insight into how teachers negotiate instructional decisions to support MLs while implementing structured literacy curricula.