Abstract
Purpose. The first purpose of this study was to determine which GLAD instructional strategies teachers report are effective in helping their third grade Hispanic English learners accelerate their academic achievement in English language development and reading. The second purpose was to determine which components of the Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD) training helped third grade teachers implement the academic content, skills, and instructional strategies in their classrooms. Methodology. This descriptive study included fifty-two respondents in two school districts. A twenty-four-item survey was used to rate: (1) the effectiveness of GLAD instructional strategies with Hispanic English learners, and (2) identify which GLAD training components helped teachers implement reading content, skills, and instructional strategies in their classrooms. Eighteen respondents were interviewed or participated in focus groups. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative methods were used to analyze interview and focus group data. Findings. All nineteen GLAD strategies were effective to accelerate language acquisition and reading achievement among third grade Hispanic English learners. Six strategies were very effective: Pictorial Input, Chants, Picture File Cards, Process Grid, Cooperative paragraph, and Sentence Patterning. All five GLAD training components were considered important. The five-day training workshop was rated the most important. Training with colleagues and learning to build lessons from state content standards were also rated very important. Conclusions. Teachers who accelerated language acquisition and reading achievement among Hispanic English learners: (1) selected strategies that met the specific learning needs of Hispanic English learners from four categories: Focus and Motivation, Input Strategies, Guided Oral Practice, Reading and Writing, and (2) understood how, why, and when to use reading content, skills, and GLAD strategies effectively to design and implement instruction. Recommendations. Replicate this study with a larger sample of districts and teacher respondents in middle and high schools to see if results are the same as those in this study. Determine if GLAD strategies are effective in helping elementary special education students improve their reading achievement.