Language of Instruction

For many years, discussion of effective reading programs for English-language learners has revolved around the question of whether and how children's first language should be used in an instructional program. The focus of this chapter is on studies that compare bilingual programs with programs that use only English. The first part of the chapter provides background information, the second presents the methods used for the review, the third and fourth present information on studies with language minority children and heritage language studies, the fifth presents studies of French Immersion, and the remainder provides a summary of the methodological issues and findings.