“Lems, Miller, and Soro offer unusually well-constructed linkages between theories of second-language and literacy development and relevant instructional practices. The book is rich with illustrative examples as well as many useful strategies that educators can immediately implement in their classrooms. The authors are particularly effective in engaging and raising the reader’s interest—not only will educators gain enormous insight into the teaching and learning of second languages, but they also will enjoy the journey. This is an excellent text for teacher preparation courses related to second-language acquisition and bilingual education. I used the book in one of my classes and loved it. The content can serve as a basis for writing assignments, in-class discussion and analysis, presentations, and demonstrations of the sample teaching strategies.”

—Sonia W. Soltero, PhD, Chair, Department of Leadership, Language and Curriculum, DePaul University


“This book is easy to read and does a superb job of combining theory with application. The authors introduce linguistic concepts in an accessible manner and present practical activities that teachers can start using right away to help ELLs master the pillars of reading. The chapter on the digital revolution provides a bridge to understanding the next generation of technology and how to incorporate it into language learning.”

—Margaret Gigous, MA, ELL specialist, Villa Park School District 45, Illinois


“This practice-focused book is informed by current interdisciplinary research in reading, linguistics, second-language acquisition, and ESOL pedagogy. The authors provide a thorough, nontechnical explication of the relevance of language systems to reading and writing instruction. Important topics include how good readers sound out words and map phonemes onto graphemes. This is a valuable text for a range of graduate-level classes. The questions and exercises at the end of each chapter help readers apply what they have learned.”

—Kyle Perkins, PhD, Department of Teaching and Learning, Florida International University


“An essential resource for teachers and researchers of ELLs. This book takes you on an exciting journey of learning about the critical role of literacy instruction in promoting L2 (second-language) acquisition. The book provides many useful ideas about how to turn what you have learned into good classroom teaching practice.”

—Etsuo Taguchi, MA, Professor in Applied Linguistics, Daito Bunka University, Japan


“The second edition includes clear explanations of essential knowledge and practical skills while adding a focus on linguistics and digital tools. I adopted the first edition as a text for my graduate Reading Specialist practicum, but I also could see the book working beautifully in teacher education courses that focus on literacy, and in bilingual programs. My teacher education literacy courses emphasize strategies for building student-centered classrooms and making informed decisions for instruction. This book matches that strategy focus.”

—Mary Kay Moskal, EdD, Endowed Professor of Reading Recovery and Early Literacy, Saint Mary’s College of California