Faulkner's sentences are long, his vocabulary is regional, and his structure is unusual. For English learners, As I Lay Dying can feel like a wall. Grading their essays fairly means separating what they understand about the book from how they express it.

That does not mean lowering standards. It means being clear about which skills each part of the rubric measures. An idea can be sophisticated even when the grammar is imperfect.

Consider grading content and language separately. A student who makes a sharp point about Darl's narration should get credit for it even if verb tenses slip. Blending the two can hide real strengths.

It also helps to check whether the student understood the text itself. Misreadings caused by dialect or idiom are different from careless ones. Reading with that in mind changes how you respond.

Adjusting Your Approach

Pick a few language patterns to focus on rather than marking every error. Fixing everything at once overwhelms students and rarely leads to improvement. Choosing two or three recurring issues gives them something to work on.

• Score ideas and evidence separately from grammar and mechanics
• Focus corrections on the two or three most frequent error patterns
• Explain dialect or idiom that may have affected comprehension
• Allow glossaries or pre-reading supports where appropriate
• Offer revision opportunities to show language growth over time

Support Before the Essay

Difficult texts are easier to write about after guided reading. Summaries, chapter guides, and small-group discussions help English learners get to the analysis stage. Without them, much of the essay is spent on basic comprehension.

Sentence frames can help too. Starters like "Faulkner uses this narrator to show" give students a way into academic writing. They are scaffolds, not shortcuts, and can be removed as confidence grows.

Feedback That Builds Confidence

Begin with what the student did well. Many English learners are used to seeing pages covered in red ink. Pointing out a strong idea or a nice piece of evidence shows that their thinking is being heard.

Tools that give rubric-based feedback can help by making comments consistent and easy to understand. The best ones use plain language and short suggestions. Teachers can then add personal notes where they matter most.

Tracking Growth Over Time

Keep earlier essays so students can see how far they have come. A comparison between the first paper and the third can be motivating. It also gives you evidence of progress for conferences and reports.

Share progress with students directly. Telling them that their thesis statements are now clearer or their evidence is better organized reinforces good habits. Growth is easier to sustain when it is visible.