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Sight Words

For teachers serving beginning-level adult readers and working on alphabetics, this website provides a FREE source of sight word flashcards, games, lessons, and activities. All are focused on the Dolch Sight and Fry Instant lists; two collections of words that all beginning readers (at GE K-3) should recognize without sounding out letter by letter.

New General Service List Finder and Sorter

EAPFoundation.com offers a free electronic tool for finding, highlighting, and sorting high-frequency words (of general service or everyday use) in texts. It includes 2801 words used frequently in both spoken and written English and serves as a foundational word list for deciding which highly used words are most important to teach.

Making Sense of Decoding and Spelling: An Adult Reading Course of Study

This scripted, ready-to-print, curriculum package is designed to improve accurate and fluent word reading and word spelling. It is useful for Intermediate level students.

Intermediate Word Study (2012)

This ATLAS-supported resource includes: (1) a public domain test for identifying students' approximate grade level performance in word reading or decoding, (2) a series of 'mini-lessons' for teaching multi-syllable decoding with compounds, syllable types and rules, common suffixes, prefixes, and roots, and (3) an appendix of student handouts.

CCRS Reading Standards: Foundational Skills K-5

Free, reproducible student activities aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Reading Foundational Skills (and other ELA standards). They are organized by grade levels (K-5), provide teacher pages outlining objectives/materials/steps, and include student pages without a childish appearance.

Beginning Alphabetics Tests and Tools (BATT, 2015)

Beginning Alphabetics Tests and Tools (BATT) strives to provide a principled system for ABE/ESL teachers wanting to develop their students’ knowledge of Roman alphabet letters, English letter-sound patterns, sight or high frequency words, and transfer of those letter-sound-word skills to text fluency and comprehension.

Alphabetics – Challenges & Possible Solutions

Common alphabetics instructional challenges and solutions developed by Minnesota STARs and Trainers.

CCRS and the Reading Foundational Skills

These resources describe Minnesota's combination of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) + CCRS Reading Foundational Skills 1-4, at Levels K-5. The result is a complete and clear sequence for teaching alphabetics and fluency to adult readers at Beginning and Intermediate levels.

How Should Adult ESL Reading Instruction Differ From ABE Reading Instruction?

A brief from the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) summarizing the research base on adult English language learners (ELLs) learning to read. It describes how ELLs differ from native English speakers and how these differences should affect reading instruction.

New Resources

Tapping into Diverse Perspectives and Teaching Materials

This video discusses what “diverse perspectives and teaching materials” mean, and why this is important to learner success in the classroom. Using diverse materials makes class more relevant to learners’ lives and helps them bridge information they already know to new information. Utilizing diverse perspectives in class content is also key to building up critical thinking skills. We take a look at numerous resources that can help each of us diversify the visuals, videos, audio, and written materials we use.

Being a Warm Demander

This video takes a look at a spectrum of different kinds of teachers and asks you to reflect on where you would place yourself. We argue, based on Zaretta Hammond’s work, that the “warm demander” is the sweet spot of the spectrum which focuses on building trust with learners while also holding them to high standards to meet their learning goals. We then discuss tools to practice building relationships with learners, creating a learning partnership pact, and giving quality feedback so learners can meet their goals.

Discovering Learners’ Funds of Knowledge

In this video, we define and discuss the terms “funds of knowledge” and “an asset-based perspective.” A key element of equity in the classroom is acknowledging learners have a wealth of knowledge based on their own experiences, and we should provide opportunities for learners to be the experts in the room. Once we learn what students’ assets are, we can weave this information into class content, which helps learners be more successful. We take a look at an example lesson.

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MN ABE YouTube Channel

The MN ABE YouTube Channel is a free online PD resource that you can use to explore teaching techniques and classroom ideas in action! Find out more in this MN ABE Connect newsletter article.

Upcoming ABE Events

August 6, 2024 10:00 am–12:00 pm
Literacy Minnesota
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Racial Equity 101 Presented by Jimmie Heags

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Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/6/24 Join presenter Jimmie Heags, Jr., MA, LSC, LPCC, LADC, ACS, for this session that exposes how race is defined and how racism impacts individuals and institutions. The session will provide learners with a framework for understanding and disrupting the attitudes and structures that perpetuate… Learn More

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August 6, 2024 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
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Volunteer Core Training Module 1: Overview of Minnesota Adult Education and Program Accountability

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Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/6/24 Participants learn about Adult Basic Education programming in Minnesota, demographics of learners, instructional content standards as well as initial and on-going assessment. This session wraps up with learner motivations, barriers and persistence. Learn More

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August 13, 2024 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
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Volunteer Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners

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Registration Deadline: TUE. 8/13/24 Participants develop their personal cultural awareness and learn how expectations around school culture shape how people teach and learn. Guiding principles for effectively delivering instruction to adults are also covered. Finally, participants increase their sensitivity to the challenges of learning English and developing literacy… Learn More

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