Resources
Results
Spotlight on Total Physical Response
See how Total Physical Response (TPR) connects language to physical movement, helping learners understand and remember new vocabulary. By pairing actions with words, TPR lowers the affective filter and reduces anxiety, making it especially helpful for beginning learners. This approach can be used as a short warm-up activity or as part of a lesson to reinforce meaning and support long-term retention.
Health Literacy Resources
This collection of multi-language health videos, classroom lessons, and support resources was created to support language learners who are new to English and who may have limited literacy skills to reduce barriers to access healthcare and improve health literacy.
Spotlight on Line Dialogues
Watch this video to see how line dialogues give students the opportunity to practice short dialogs over and over with different partners. The video from REEP demonstrates different adaptions for this activity based on language level. Use a small part of this video to show learners what they should do in their line.
Monarch Reader by Building Wings
This collection of free, easy-to-read, and accessible books on a wide range of topics. Each book can be speech enabled and accessed using multiple interfaces. These are digital books and digital book collections for readers of all ages. NOTE: Monarch Reader was formerly known as Tar Heel Reader.
Reading Skills Stories
This section of the Literacy Centre of Expertise website offers both interactive (with audio) and downloadable (PDF) student and teacher materials. There are phonics stories, "Interactive Foundational Stories" (dealing with oral language, vocabulary and comprehension), and stories dealing with word families and sight words, all written for adult language learners.
Adult ELL Pathway to Literacy
Find the Adult ELL Pathway to Literacy curriculum and online assessment tools here. These resources were developed by a team of literacy level teachers, and piloted with in-person and online classes of literacy level learners.
Arlington Education and Employment Program
This site has extensive resources for teachers and learners, including a full life skills-based curriculum, interactive story links for beginners, and collections of links on a variety of topics including typing, pronunciation, and citizenship.
BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental Readers
Find readers and accompanying course packets written specifically for adults. The six levels of readers range from low beginner to the equivalent of grade 9 in the K-12 system. Use the readers and course packets online, or download them as PDFs.
Health Literacy Resources for Immigrants and Refugees
This collection of multi-language health videos, classroom lessons, and support resources was created to support language learners who are new to English and who may have limited literacy skills to reduce barriers to access healthcare and improve health literacy.
ESL Literacy Readers (Bow Valley Readers)
This collection of beloved theme-based readers for beginning levels of ESL literacy has been discontinued (in late 2024). They are no longer available at the Bow Valley College site. However, colleagues at the Immigrant Welcome Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, have a number of the readers posted (with permission) on their Adult ELL Pathway to Literacy website. This document outlines the changes and how to find these materials.
CCRS in the ABE Classroom: Beginning ESL
This lesson focuses on Shift 2: Evidence; Reading Anchors 1, 3, and 7, Level A; Speaking and Listening Anchors 1 and 6, Level A; and Language Anchor 1. The learners: 1) Ask and answer questions about key details in a text, 2) Describe the connection between individuals, 3) Use illustrations to describe key ideas, 4) Speak audibly, express thoughts clearly and succinctly, 5) Follow rules for discussions & responding to comments/questions in an exchange, and 6) Understand and use question words, possessive pronouns, and the progressive verb tense.
A Digital Workbook for Beginning ESOL
This free online book contains three levels of interactive grammar lessons and reading activities for beginning students of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). The grammar section includes a select set of YouTube videos, and the three original readers include short picture or chapter stories. Each lesson is accompanied by self-correcting exercises.
We Speak NYC – learner activities
Provides videos and practice activities (such as quizzes) for learners to develop listening and vocabulary skills in an independent learning setting. Topics include education, health, emergency preparedness, domestic violence, workforce development, adult education, early childhood education, worker rights, mental health, and immigration legal help. Appropriate for high beginning to high intermediate learners.
We Speak NYC
These videos and accompanying materials (including short stories, study guides, and glosses) develop listening and vocabulary skills in a classroom or independent learning setting. Topics include education, health, emergency preparedness, domestic violence, workforce development, adult education, early childhood education, worker rights, mental health, and immigration legal help. Appropriate for high beginning to high intermediate learners.
Learn English Free: EnglishClub
EnglishClub is a free website designed to help beginning to advanced English Language Learners develop their English skills. Learners can find activities and materials to learn about and practice listening, reading, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Teachers can also find materials and lesson plans.
iPads and Tablets in the LESLLA Classroom
With suggestions of iPad/tablet apps that build reading foundations skills, numeracy, and digital literacy for ESL learners with limited or interrupted formal education, this list can help integrate ABE standards in a targeted, self-paced, and differentiated manner.
Numeracy Units: Beginning Level
The Hubbs Center has created a series of Beginning Level Numeracy Units based on real-life applications such as consumerism, temperature, time, health, and work. Find lessons and handouts (in Dropbox folders) under the Numeracy Units link on the main webpage.
Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults (LESLLA)
This website provides information about current research with low literacy level adult English language learners, as well as numerous resources for teaching and supporting beginning level learners.
Adult ESL Pronunciation Activities Videos
Created by Literacy Minnesota, these videos feature Minnesota teachers working with English language learners on a wide variety of pronunciation skills, including: final consonant articulation, word stress, word stress routine, voice quality settings, intonation, and contractive stress.
Our School Garden
This project-based unit of instruction leads students through a process of writing, filming, editing, and showcasing their own videos about a community garden they have tended all summer.
New Resources
Building Sentence-Writing Fluency Through Timed Writing Practice
This spotlight features two resources from the Iowa Reading Research Center that focus on building sentence-level writing fluency through timed, repeated writing practice. It includes an article explaining the approach and an example lesson plan that shows how timed writing sessions can be used and adapted in the classroom.
WisTech Open
Building on more than 20 years of high-quality digital learning materials, WisTech Open brings together popular Wisc-Online learning objects—such as assessments, animations, and interactive tools—alongside new resources that support learning across subject areas. The free platform can be used in the classroom or for independent learning by students, educators, and lifelong learners.
Spotlight on Total Physical Response
See how Total Physical Response (TPR) connects language to physical movement, helping learners understand and remember new vocabulary. By pairing actions with words, TPR lowers the affective filter and reduces anxiety, making it especially helpful for beginning learners. This approach can be used as a short warm-up activity or as part of a lesson to reinforce meaning and support long-term retention.
Presenter Information
Get information about stipends, reimbursements, the MN Adult Ed policy on use of images in presentations, and other instructions for presenters.
MN Adult Ed YouTube Channel
The MN Adult Education 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.
ATLAS Announcements & Future PD
Check out the latest list of ATLAS professional development announcements and opportunities! This is the document that is shared at all ATLAS events.
Virtual Meeting Resources
Find resources for conducting online meetings/events/presentations! You are welcome to use and adapt these materials to fit your own needs and context.
Upcoming ABE Events
January 21, 2026
6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Online
Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
Online
Registration Deadline: WED. 1/21/26 Venue: Online (see details below) Come and review the important role of fluency in reading instruction. We will discuss the three key components of reading fluency and look at a variety of activities tutors and teachers can try. We will talk about the mechanics… Learn More
Online
January 22, 2026
1:00 pm–2:30 pm
Online
Emergency Online & Hyflex Teaching 101 Webinar
Online
Registration Deadline: THU. 1/22/26 Venue: Online (see details below) Are you or your program making a quick pivot to online, hybrid, or HyFlex instruction? Join this webinar for some just-in-time guidance and resources to help you get started with (or restart) distance and remote instruction. You’ll have… Learn More
Online
January 27, 2026
9:00 am–10:00 am
Online
SiD Class Setup Essentials
Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 1/27/26 Venue: Online (see details below) Join us for an in-depth webinar about how to set up classes in SiD. We’ll cover the basics of creating, duplicating, and removing classes. We’ll also dig into how to build specialty classes like IET, Workplace, and Distance Learning. Learn More
Online