The strength of English learners' second language reading is closely associated with academic success. Using qualitative research methods and verbal protocols, this study examines four elementary-level English learners' uses of reading strategies and describes how each English learner employs these strategies while reading both culturally relevant and culturally distant stories. The study describes two types of strategies: higher order thinking strategies and socio-contextual reading strategies. Together, the study draws on intensive ethnographic and verbal protocol research to map out a comprehensive set of 12 reading strategies and describes how English learners employ these strategies in context. This broad view of second language reading incorporates both the cognitive and linguistic skills required for decoding and comprehension, together with consideration of the non-cognitive factors and sociocultural contexts within which reading occurs. The study also shows how learners at different levels process culturally relevant and culturally distant stories differently.