Literacy as a Human Right
Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D, is a Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist, Certified Academic Language Therapist and Qualified Instructor. She is the President of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas which was established in 1993. She is also a research associate with the Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Statistics at the University of Houston.
Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is the author of Esperanza (HOPE), a Spanish language program designed to assist students who struggle with learning to read. Her research interests include the development of early reading assessments for Spanish-speaking students and the development of reading interventions for bilingual students. She serves as the Chairperson of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities and is a Past Vice-Chairperson for the International Dyslexia Association. Elsa has authored curricular programs, book chapters, and journal articles related to oracy and literacy development for English language learners. Her book, Literacy Foundations for English Learners: A Comprehensive Guide to Evidence-Based Instruction addresses the Science of Reading and provides strategies for successful implementation among this diverse population of students.
Literacy is a human right. Every learner, regardless of the language spoken at home, deserves access to high-quality, evidence-based instruction that is both culturally and linguistically responsive. This is especially critical for the more than 5 million students in the United States whose heritage language is not English.
Step 1: Build Understanding of Structured Literacy
The first step is ensuring every teacher and school leader understands the research base supporting Structured Literacy. Structured Literacy is a comprehensive approach to reading and writing instruction that integrates the domains of language—phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
For students learning more than one language, strong language and literacy skills in their heritage language support the development of literacy in a second language. However, with more than 400 different languages spoken in the homes of multilingual students, achieving this goal is complex. Currently, only about 3 percent of teachers hold a specialization in working with linguistically diverse learners, revealing a significant gap in preparation and support.
Step 2: Ensure Access to High-Quality Core Instruction
The next step is to improve access to high-quality core instruction for all students. This ensures only those students who genuinely struggle with reading are identified as at risk, allowing intervention time to be used effectively and meaningfully.
To teach responsively, educators must know their students.
A consistent instructional framework benefits all learners, particularly those needing additional language and literacy support. In intervention settings, this means using evidence-based practices that are also culturally and linguistically responsive. When students see and hear their language and culture reflected in instruction, they become more engaged, motivated, and successful. Making linguistic connections across languages strengthens literacy learning.
Step 3: Strengthen Communication and Collaboration Across Tiers of Instruction
Collaboration across the three tiers of instruction within the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework is essential. For students receiving small-group or individual interventions, educators must ensure alignment across Tiers 1, 2, and 3.
Multilingual students benefit from hearing the same academic language and strategies across all settings. This consistency reinforces retention and transfer of learning.
Data should drive instruction and help avoid one-size-fits-all interventions by tailoring support to specific skill needs. Interventions must be timely and evidence-based with culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. Too often, multilingual learners are misidentified, either under- or over-referred for intervention because their language development is misunderstood.
Honoring Literacy as a Right
Upholding literacy as a human right requires collaboration among educators, specialists, and families. Together, we can design instruction that builds on what multilingual learners already know in both their home language and English.
Ultimately, honoring literacy as a right means creating inclusive educational systems where all students, especially those learning in more than one language, are seen, supported, and set up to thrive. Literacy is the bridge to equity, and every student deserves access to high-quality instruction delivered by expert professionals.
Listen to the EDVIEW360 podcast episode, “Intensive Intervention for Tier 2 & 3: Success for Multilinguals and All Students Who Struggle” to learn more about teaching literacy among multilingual learners. More information can be found here.
References
August, D., & Shanahan, T. (2017). Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Routledge.
Cárdenas-Hagan, E., Carreker, S., & Tridas, E. (2017). Errors inform instruction.
Paper presented at the International Dyslexia Association Conference, Atlanta.
Cárdenas-Hagan, E. (2020). Literacy Foundations for English Learners: A Comprehensive Guide to Evidence-Based Instruction. Brookes Publishing Company.
Cárdenas-Hagan, E. (2018). Language and Literacy Development among English Language Learners. In Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills (4th ed., pp. 720–754). Brookes Publishing Co.
Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice. Teachers College Press.
Irwin, V., Wang, K., Jung, J., Kessler, E., Tezil, T., Alhassani, S., Filbey, A., Dilig, R., and
Bullock Mann, F. (2024). Report on the Condition of Education 2024 (NCES 2024-144).
U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2024144.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American educational research journal, 32(3), 465-491.
Le Menestrel, S., & Takanishi, R. (Eds.). (2017). Promoting the educational success of children and youth learning English: Promising futures. National Academies Press.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). English Learners in Public Schools. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgf.
Project LEE, Project ELLIPSES & Project ELITE, (2021). Multitiered system of supports for English learners: Literacy implementation rubric. U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.