Rather than have learners read a text or text-book individually, why not try this strategy that promotes a more interactive way of reading a text?
Separate a text into four to six parts.
Split learners into four to six groups depending on how many part of the text you have.
Each group is given one part of the text to read. They are now the experts for this part of the text and will share their expertise with others. I find it useful to assign questions for each group to answer.
In addition they can discuss the meaning of the text, clarify any misconceptions or misunderstandings, and discuss vocabulary that may need clarifying.
Once the groups have finished reading the text they then form new groups (I do this by assigning each group member a new number). Each member of the new group then shares what they have read and together then build their knowledge of the text together.
I find this strategy is really useful for EAL learners and would encourage it in every classroom and every subject. Too often, EAL learners are passive in their reading of a text and wait for someone to give them the answer without really developing their understanding of a text and also expanding their readings skills and strategies.
EAL in the Daylight 