Date of Award
5-9-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education
Program
Literacy
Capstone Instructor
Brian Boothe
Second Reader
Theresa Marty
Keywords
phonological awareness, phonics, emergent English language learners, monolingual learners, translanguaging, emergent literacy
Abstract
This paper examines how phonological awareness instruction can be adapted to better support emergent English language learners (ELLs) in their early literacy development. As classrooms become more diverse, traditional instruction designed for monolingual English-speaking students may not fully address the needs of ELLs. This study explores research to understand how phonological awareness develops in ELLs and how instructional approaches can be better adapted to support their literacy development. This literature review is organized into three overarching themes with the use of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research studies. The first theme is developmental differences between ELLs and monolingual students. The second theme is the role of home language in phonological awareness development. The final theme is the impact of targeted phonics-based instruction on ELLs. Findings from the research indicated that ELLs follow different developmental paces with their literacy skills developing across languages. Overall, the findings suggest that phonological awareness instruction must be both equitable and adapted to meet the needs of emergent ELLs. Instruction that reflects these needs is essential for literacy development.