The Science of Reading and Multilingual Learners: Language Comprehension is Central

This paper by Dr. Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez discusses the importance of language comprehension for English reading comprehension, especially for Multilingual Learner (MLL) students. The author explains that while word reading is a crucial skill, language comprehension is equally important for achieving the ultimate goal of reading, which is comprehension. The paper highlights that MLL students, who are still developing academic English proficiency, often have lower English reading comprehension outcomes. However, this is not solely due to their language status but is intertwined with other factors like poverty and access to educational opportunities. The author argues that academic English language services, while necessary, are insufficient for developing strong reading comprehension. The paper advocates for explicit and integrated language comprehension support within reading instruction, including a focus on oral language discourse and conceptually related vocabulary. The paper concludes that supporting both word reading and language comprehension is essential for all students, especially MLLs.