The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2024

It’s that time again—our yearly review of the research you should read, from the sneaky ways that inattention can spread in your classroom to the promises and perils of AI. 

The READS Lab's work was featured at number 8.

8. The Impulse to Overprotect ELLs

Well-meaning schools often dissuade English language learners from taking science and social studies courses until they’re fluent in English, assuming that remedial language instruction is a necessary first step. But a 2024 study suggests that’s usually the wrong approach.

Researchers observed thousands of first and second grade ELLs and their English-proficient peers as they moved through a 10-week literacy program built around science and social studies lessons. Instruction focused on interactive read-alouds of informational texts with an emphasis on target vocabulary, peer discussions, and structured writing tasks that pushed ELLs to deploy their new language skills and conceptual understanding. 

ELLs who stuck around, collaborated with “linguistically diverse peers,” and took on challenging work won the day, outperforming ELLs who had been removed for remediation in tests of domain-specific vocabulary knowledge and argumentative writing. The findings, the researchers say, challenge the conventional wisdom about delaying immersion and argue that ELLs should “actively participate in rich content, informational texts, and collaborative activities” with their peers.

Read more at edutopia.org.