Why High School English Language Programs Fail (and how to fix them): No Explicit Focus on Building a Reading Habit
- Kyle Larson
- Apr 22
- 5 min read
When I first became a high school English Language teacher, I had my hands full.
I was new to the school, still learning the ropes of the role, and walking into a program that was—frankly—a mess. The previous teacher hadn’t set boundaries with students, and without structure or consequences, chaos had taken root. Learning was no longer the classroom’s purpose. I inherited a room full of students who had little motivation to grow, and even less clarity on how to do it.
To make matters more complicated, my classes included students across the entire language spectrum. Some were newcomers. Others were nearly fluent. And new students kept enrolling throughout the year. I was handed a newcomers textbook and told to begin there—but it quickly became obvious that while about 20% of the class benefited from that content, the rest were either far beyond it or couldn’t access it at all.
That’s when I asked myself a fundamental question:What is one activity I could do every day that would benefit every single student, no matter their level?
I went back into the theory I’d learned in my undergrad coursework on second-language acquisition, and one answer came roaring back: reading. Regular, independent, self-paced reading.
So I tried it.
It was rough at first. Most of my students couldn’t sit still with a book for more than a few minutes. On the first day, we barely made it to seven minutes before I had to shut things down. But I kept going. Every period that week started with seven minutes of reading. The next week, I added a minute. And again the week after.
Slowly, we climbed. Ten minutes. Twelve. Fifteen.
Some students—especially the diligent ones—began to talk more. Their grammar improved. But I couldn’t be sure: Was this the result of independent reading? Or were those students just better at focusing to begin with?
That’s when I introduced reading conferences—short, structured, one-on-one conversations with students about what they were reading. We’d talk about the plot, their progress, their vocabulary, and we’d set weekly reading goals. I tracked their development intentionally, noting new skills and patterns.
And let me tell you—that’s when the magic happened.
Independent reading alone had planted the seeds, but reading conferences watered them. What was once a classroom of distracted teens became a space full of thinkers, readers, and confident language users. Students were owning their progress. Language was growing, and fast.
I had found a system. And it worked.
The Real Problem: We Don’t Prioritize Reading in Our English Language Programs
Here’s the truth: most English Language programs emphasize speaking and listening—and that’s important. But reading is often treated as secondary, or worse, optional.
The irony is that reading is one of the most effective tools for language development, especially when it comes to vocabulary growth, comprehension, and long-term fluency.
In The Power of Reading, Stephen Krashen (2004) writes:
“Free voluntary reading is the most powerful tool we have in language education.”
But too many programs don’t treat it that way. And when reading is not embedded into the school culture, long-term English learners—especially those not in EL-specific classes—get left behind.
How to Fix It
We can’t just place books on shelves and hope for the best. To truly transform the outcomes of English learners, we need two things:
Daily, structured reading routines inside EL classrooms, and
A whole-school commitment to building a reading culture.
Let’s break this into two parts:
Within the English Language Classroom
1. Make Independent Reading a Daily Routine
Treat reading like any other essential practice—math teachers warm up with a problem, PE teachers stretch. EL teachers read. Even 10 minutes a day adds up.📌 Resource: 6 Tactics to get Multilingual Students to Read
2. Use High-Interest, Level-Appropriate Texts
Too many older ELs are asked to read materials that are either too difficult or too childish. The word that many teachers have used when expressing this to me is "babyish." You need accessible texts with mature content.
3. Implement Reading Conferences
Reading conferences make the reading real. One-on-one check-ins help monitor progress, deepen comprehension, and build trust. Two researchers from Oklahoma State University, Tarantino and Donavan have developed the CELL protocol, as listed below which is very helpful in assisting the learning of the English language by students through guided support. We, at AIR Language, have modified this slightly to fit our needs.
📌 Resource: CELL protocol (conferring with English language learners): Supporting ELLs’ reading comprehension in middle level education)
As a School-Wide Initiative
To help long-term ELs—and every student—we need systemic support. Reading must become a shared value, not just a classroom activity.
Here’s how administrators can lead the charge:
1. Provide Time and Space for Independent Reading Across Subjects
Many schools set aside 15–20 minutes per day for SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) during homeroom, ELA, or advisory. Schools that set reading as a priority inevitably end up seeing growth by all students in the school. To see the impact of reading on all students click below.
📌 Resource: Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment (2024). The Opportunity Myth for English Learners: A Framework for Examining Classroom Practice.
2. Align Professional Development Around Reading Culture
Train all teachers, not just ELA or EL, on how reading supports comprehension in their subject.
3. Invest in School-Wide Book Access and Student Choice
Let students choose what they read. Create classroom libraries, school-wide book clubs, and open-access lending programs.
📌 Resource: The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller
4. Incentivize Teacher and Student Participation
Start reading competitions, shoutouts in staff meetings, hallway displays, or monthly “reading hero” awards.
📌 Resource: Scholastic: Building a School-Wide Reading Culture
5. Connect Reading to Administrator Priorities
Priority | How Reading Helps | Resources |
Higher Test Scores | Regular reading improves vocabulary, comprehension, and cognitive stamina. | |
Classroom Focus | Students in reading habit routines are calmer and more attentive. | |
Teacher Retention | Reading routines free up teacher energy for feedback and conferencing. | |
Reduced Discipline Referrals | SSR times lower hallway conflict, off-task behavior, and class disruption. | |
Data-Driven Progress | Reading logs, Lexile growth, and conferences offer clear metrics. | |
College and Career Readiness | Independent reading builds reading stamina and critical thinking. |
🚀 Bonus Resources for Administrators and Advocates
From Striving to Thriving by Stephanie Harvey & Annie Ward
What Works Clearinghouse: Adolescent Literacy Intervention Reports
Case Study: “Sustained Silent Reading Impact on Low-Income Schools” – EdSource
“Creating a Culture of Literacy” – NASSP Position Statement
“Reading Next: A Vision for Action and Research in Middle and High School Literacy” (Alliance for Excellent Education)
Final Words: From Fixing to Thriving
This is the final article in our 10-part series on why high school English Language programs fail. If there’s one takeaway, it’s this:
Programs fail when they lack systems that work across levels and across time.
Reading is one of the most powerful tools we have—but only when it becomes more than a checkbox on a lesson plan. It needs to be a routine. A mindset. A culture.
At AIR Language, we’ve built our platform to help you implement this kind of system easily:
Create your free account.
Sign up your students and give them access to leveled, age-appropriate texts.
Start regular reading conferences using our built-in tools.
Reading isn’t just for language learners—it’s for everyone in your school. And it starts with a habit.
Let’s build it—together.
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