There remains a persistent achievement gap among English learners (ELs) and their English-speaking peers. A typical, native English speaker begins schooling with years of oral language experience in the language of instruction, which provides the required precursors necessary for reading acquisition. The latest research indicates for many ELs, reading comprehension difficulties begin to emerge during the later years of schooling and further implicates this to an earlier lack of attention to language comprehension--oral language development. This is compounded with the reality that teachers within the general education setting often lack preparation of how best to support ELs in progressing in the proficiency of English. This study sought to understand three kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of emergent storybook reading to support their ELs' oral language development. Findings revealed the strategy to be effective when teachers modeled the responsive language and students engaged in oral language production through the strategy. Rather than addressing oral language development at the cursory level, implementing emergent storybook reading promotes intentional teaching opportunities that may inform and address the linguistic needs of ELs. Implementing this strategy in linguistically diverse classrooms provides teachers with essential knowledge about their ELs' progress and assists with strategic planning for ongoing progress. Understanding and recognizing students' linguistic needs would better assist teachers in knowing how to support their students' oral language progress. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]