This paper will capture the research and literature on a particular literacy topic in relation to the teaching of ELLs (academic language, reading literature, reading informational texts, writing, and speaking and listening) in K-12 programs. Generally, the purpose of this paper is to document your critical analysis of a published body of knowledge through summary, classification, and comparison of research studies, reviews of literature, and theoretical pieces of writing. You must consider a minimum of 10-12 resources for this review (books, book chapters, articles, websites).

Format: Basically, your paper will include:
Cover page
Abstract
Introduction, body, and closing
References
You must follow APA 6th edition as your specific guidelines to complete the paper.
Writing the introduction: In the introduction, you should:

Define or identify the general topic, issue, or area of concern, thus providing an appropriate context for reviewing the literature.
Point out overall trends in what has been published about the topic; or conflicts in theory, methodology, evidence, and conclusions; or gaps in research and scholarship; or a single problem or new perspective of immediate interest.
Establish your reason (point of view) for reviewing the literature; explain the criteria to be used in analyzing and comparing literature and the organization of the review (sequence).

Writing the body: In the body, you should:
Summarize individual studies or articles with as much or as little detail as each one merits according to its comparative importance in the literature, remembering that space (length) denotes significance.
Provide the reader with strong “umbrella” sentences at beginnings of paragraphs, “signposts” throughout, and brief “so what” summary sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in understanding comparisons and analyses.

Writing the conclusion: In the conclusion, you should:
Summarize major contributions of significant studies and articles to the body of knowledge under review, maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
Evaluate the current “state of the art” for the body of knowledge reviewed, pointing out major methodological flaws or gaps in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study.
Conclude by providing some insight into the relationship between the central topic of the literature review and a larger area of study such as a discipline, a scientific endeavor, or a profession.
Source: http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/ReviewofLiterature.html