Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is often taught in middle schools across the country. But I’ve found it to be a powerful choice for high school ESL students too. The novel is written from a child’s point of view, which makes it easier for students to build essential inferencing skills. Its simplified language, emotional themes, and historical context make The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for ESL students a strong option in my classroom.
In my ESL classes, I don’t believe in watering down literature. I still expect students to complete one or two full novels each year. But let’s be honest—many classic texts are packed with difficult vocabulary and heavy cultural references. This can overwhelm language learners. Choosing a novel that students enjoy and understand is key to building confidence, fluency, and stamina, which is why The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for ESL students is so effective.
Why This Novel Works for ESL Teens
Why does The Boy in the Striped Pajamas work so well for ESL students? The answer is simple—they connect with the themes. Bruno, the main character, is innocent and unaware of the world around him. That gives students a chance to use inference. They often understand what’s really going on before Bruno does, and it shows in their reactions.
Older ESL teens also notice deeper plotlines. One example is the implied affair between Bruno’s mother and Lieutenant Kotler. The novel creates natural opportunities to teach symbolism, historical context, and deeper reading skills. Most importantly, it helps teenagers understand and process complex events through accessible storytelling, perfect for the Boy in the Striped Pajamas for ESL students.
The Challenges ESL Students Faced
Along with limited English vocabulary, many ESL students also struggle with the stamina needed to read longer texts. That’s why choosing the right novel matters. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas offers manageable language while still teaching powerful lessons. It’s important for students to learn about the past—especially tragedies like the Holocaust—so that history isn’t doomed to repeat itself. This makes The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for ESL students an ideal choice.
My Step-by-Step Scaffolded Approach
A. Pre-Reading Activities
- ESL students need background information on the Holocaust and WWII. This is in simplified English. Make sure that each word is comprehensible to their English language level, tailored for students engaging with The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
- Key vocabulary should be frontloaded before reading. When teaching a novel, it’s not necessary to define every unfamiliar word. However, it’s essential to explicitly teach words that are critical to understanding the plot or key themes. Without this targeted vocabulary support, true comprehension may not be possible for ESL students.
- Using visuals to support prediction. ESL students benefit greatly from visual representations, especially when language becomes a barrier. Visuals can help students grasp key concepts, make predictions, and stay engaged—even when they don’t fully understand all the words on the page.
B. During-Reading Supports
- Chapter summaries in simplified English. Before we start actually reading the chapter, I introduce a summary written in very basic English that discusses the key events from each chapter, especially for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for ESL students.
- Visual aids: timeline, character maps, setting illustrations. I also create visual aids and representations that my students can look at during the reading process and prior. This helps them to understand the chapter a little more prior and during the readings.
- Graphic organizers for tracking key ideas, vocabulary, and character changes. Graphic organizers help ESL students organize their thoughts, making complex ideas easier to understand and process.
- Sentence stems for written responses. These help students to gather the right way to answer questions in English. It acts as a model for appropriate response.
If you are interested in my chapter-by-chapter graphic organizers for The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, just click here.
C. Post-Reading Discussions & Writing
- Open-ended questions using sentence frames. I prefer open-ended questions over multiple choice when working with ESL students because they encourage authentic language use—whether in writing or speaking. To support student responses, I provide sentence frames with each question. This scaffolding helps students express their ideas more confidently by meeting them halfway.
- Scaffolded response activities: writing prompts with word banks. It is important that students practice writing in English. Providing a word bank is essential to help them gather the words they need to express themselves.
- Making personal or cultural connections. ESL students need to see themselves in whatever it is that they are reading. With The Boy in the Striped Pajamas for ESL students, there needs to be teaching moments that pinpoint those moments.
How These Supports Transformed My Classroom
I’ve seen firsthand how scaffolding The Boy in the Striped Pajamas doesn’t take away from the story—it actually deepens the experience. One student remarked, “I can’t believe Bruno doesn’t see what is really happening around him. Maybe kids today are just smarter or more aware.” Comments like that show just how engaged my students are—not only with the plot, but with the deeper meaning behind it. Through structured supports, my ESL students build confidence, improve comprehension, and learn to express complex thoughts in English. They’re not just reading—they’re thinking, questioning, and growing.
Want These Scaffolds for Your Classroom?
I spent weeks creating my own chapter summaries and visual supports because I couldn’t find what I needed—so I bundled them together to help other ESL teachers, too. They include:
- Simplified chapter summaries
- Visual aids for characters, setting, and plot
- Great for A2–B1 learners or mixed-level classes
If you’d like to save time and support your students with meaningful materials, you can check out the full resource: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: ESL Chapter Summaries & Visuals.
Final Thoughts for Fellow ESL Teachers
Our ESL students are more capable than they’re often given credit for. With the right scaffolds, even complex literature becomes accessible, meaningful, and empowering. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is just one example of how a well-supported novel can spark deep thinking, emotional growth, and real language development.
We don’t need to simplify great literature—we just need to strategically support our learners. When we give them the right bridges to cross, they can go further than we ever imagined.
If you’re looking for ready-made chapter summaries, visuals, and vocabulary supports to use with this novel, I’ve put together a resource to help you save time and support your students every step of the way.
