ELL and Struggling Students at Wisconsin District Build Literacy Skills with Direct Instruction

This case study highlights the Wausau School District in Wisconsin, a public PreK–12 district serving about 8,400 students. Roughly one-quarter of the student population are English Language Learners (ELL), most of whom are Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia. The district sought to strengthen literacy instruction for ELL and struggling readers by implementing several of McGraw Hill's Direct Instruction reading programs, including Corrective Reading, Reading Mastery, and Language for Learning.

Corrective Reading was first introduced in Grades 6–8 during the 2005–2006 school year. After three months, the percentage of ELL students scoring proficient or advanced on the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examination (WKCE) increased from 64% to 76%. Encouraged by these results, the district expanded its use of programs: Reading Mastery for Grades 3–5, Language for Learning for new-arrival ELL students in Grades K–12, and Corrective Reading for Grades 9–12.

Teachers and administrators observed significant gains in student reading confidence and comprehension. One Grade 8 ELL student advanced from a Grade 3 reading level to a Grade 6 level after one year in Corrective Reading. Educators reported that the programs helped address phonemic awareness gaps, strengthen decoding and comprehension, and reinforce vocabulary. Students became more engaged and eager to read, which was reflected in improved test performance.

The district’s success demonstrates how structured, skill-focused reading programs can support diverse learners, especially those developing literacy in a second language.