Español to English teaches the skills Spanish-speaking students need to gradually transition fully into Reading Mastery Signature Edition (RMSE) Grade K or Language for Learning, a Direct Instruction early language program. Students who work in Español to English progress through the same lessons and exercises found in both programs, with additional supports to fully understand teacher directions and expectations. Teacher explanations are provided in Spanish only at the beginning of the program. Teachers increasingly use English until it becomes the sole language of instruction at the end of the program. All student responses are made in English.

As students progress through Español to English, the number of exercises taught directly from the RMSE/Language for Learning programs increases. The language exercises emphasize oral expression and teach the basic skills and concepts of oral language that are critical for students’ success in school. The program provides the building blocks of listening and reading comprehension by teaching word knowledge, common information, concepts, sentence forms, classification, and problem-solving. All skills and concepts taught are continuously integrated into more sophisticated review and application exercises. As students master the lessons, their ability to function successfully in classrooms where English is the language of instruction steadily increases. Español to English is most typically used with young children who speak little to no English, or with older students who have recently come from Spanish-speaking countries. It is effective for small group or individual instruction.