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Additional Comprehension Resources
ESL Literacy Readers offers 40 theme-based stories, a learner page, and a teacher's guide with ideas for reading activities and extensions. ESL Yes! offers 1600 stories intended for Beginning and Intermediate level ESL students, supplemented with audios and various kinds of exercises.
The Times in Plain English
This website contains free "Plain English Version" articles about current world and national news or events. All of the articles are edited by Arthur Schiff and grade-leveled according to Flesch-Kincaid. In addition to articles, the website offers Tips for Teachers, which provides text-dependent questions.
The Role of Vocabulary Instruction in Adult Basic Education
The author of this chapter analyzes research and theories about vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, and their inter-relationship. She presents proven practices for vocabulary instruction and makes other recommendations for research and policy.
Additional Fluency Resources
These Comprehension resources are also useful for Fluency instruction: * Britannica School Elementary offers non-fiction articles related images, videos, maps, and learning games * The Change Agent includes leveled student-written articles, discussion topics, and lesson plans * The Times in Plain English contains free, leveled articles about current world and national news or events * Center for Adult Literacy Text Library offers over 1600 leveled texts on a range of topics
Teaching Adults to Read
Five free online courses for adult educators who want to learn more about teaching the components of reading: alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Each self-paced course can be completed in 2-4 hours.
Reading Skills for Today’s Adults – Fluency
This website is a source of passages (Levels 0.7 to 8.0) and audios intended “to help adults become better readers and more informed consumers, parents, employees, citizens and community members.” It is useful for Beginning and Intermediate level students.
Reading Skills for Healthcare Workers – Comprehension
This website provides 175 CNA (certified nursing assistant) and general healthcare passages and audios for adult readers at grade levels 5.5 to 8.5 (Intermediate level). All are CCRS aligned and include pre-reading questions, definitions of healthcare or high-frequency vocabulary, and text-dependent questions.
Comprehension: Research and Teaching Strategies
Research Digest No. 8 defines comprehension, provides suggestions for assessment and instruction, and lists additional resources and references.
Comprehension Instruction for STAR/EBRI Volunteers
This handout describes what STAR/EBRI volunteers need to know about evidence-based and explicit comprehension instruction. It focuses on teaching five strategies: 1) asking and answering questions, 2) finding topics, 3) identifying main idea sentences, 4) identifying key details or important steps, and 5) writing summaries.
Comprehension – Challenges & Possible Solutions
Common comprehension strategy instructional challenges and solutions developed by Minnesota STARs and Trainers.
Britannica School Elementary
This website offers non-fiction articles at Reading Levels 1-2 and related images, videos, maps, and learning games. The articles are categorized by many categories, and users can select the reading level, adjust the font size, email or print copies, and listen to the text with a Read Aloud option.
Rong Chang Listening Collection
This is a collection of online listening tracks for ESL learners. There is a wide range of topics and levels featured, and all of the sites include an audio track and a reading text.
- CCRS
- Comprehension
- Curriculum Design
- ESL
- Fluency
- Formative Assessment
- Text-Dependent Questions
- Vocabulary
ReadWorks.org
ReadWorks provides a large, high-quality library of curated nonfiction and literary articles, along with reading comprehension and vocabulary lessons, formative assessments, and teacher guidance. Through this website teachers can access curriculum, lesson plans, and free training.
Reading Skills for Today’s Adults – ESL
This website was designed to provide an online repository of leveled reading selections that are appropriate for and valued by adult learners. The readings being posted correspond to CASAS 200 - 235, focusing on topics such as Civics, Employment, Housing, Health, School, Money, and Government.
Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab
Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab is an online, multimedia listening website designed to help ESOL students improve their listening comprehension skills in English. The website contains over 300 original learning quizzes and activities that cover functional language topics.
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
Construction Trades Bridge Course
Designed for use in a correctional facility. Students in the course obtain an OSHA 10 certification, obtain an NCCER Introductory Craft Skills certification, and complete the mathematics Number Sense and Geometry components of the ADP. Improved literacy skills are a primary focus throughout.
Introduction to Healthcare Careers (Metro South)
Provides an overview of entry-level healthcare careers available in four categories – patient care, imaging and diagnostics, administrative and support services, and health information and records – plus an introduction to vocabulary and concepts that are explored more in-depth in higher level career pathways courses.
English for Health, First Aid and CPR Certification
Introduces students to the study of the human body, the healthcare career field and providing first aid and CPR in a health emergency while integrating English, literacy and technology skills. A licensed CPR trainer will co-teach with an ESL teacher to prepare students to become certified in American Health Association (AHA) CPR, AED & First Aid.
Presenter Information
Get information about stipends, reimbursements, and other instructions for presenters.
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
September 12, 2019
8:00 am–4:00 pm
Hamline University – Anderson Center
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
STAR 20 Cohort – Meeting 1
Hamline University – Anderson Center
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
A training by Marn Frank, ATLAS, for participants accepted through an application process. Thursday – 8:00 – 4:00 p.m. Friday – 8:00 – 4:00 p.m. … Learn More
Hamline University – Anderson Center
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
September 19, 2019
6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Minnesota Literacy Council – main office
700 Raymond Ave., Ste. 180
Saint Paul, MN 55114 United States
700 Raymond Ave., Ste. 180
Saint Paul, MN 55114 United States
Teaching Multi-Level Adult ESL Classes
Minnesota Literacy Council – main office
700 Raymond Ave., Ste. 180
Saint Paul, MN 55114 United States
700 Raymond Ave., Ste. 180
Saint Paul, MN 55114 United States
Registration Deadline: THU. 9/19/19 Multi-level groups in the ESL classroom offer their own rewards and challenges! In this workshop we will look at low prep differentiated instructional strategies that support the whole class, ones for students who are struggling, and ways to challenge higher level students. Learn More
Minnesota Literacy Council – main office
700 Raymond Ave., Ste. 180
Saint Paul, MN 55114 United States
700 Raymond Ave., Ste. 180
Saint Paul, MN 55114 United States
September 20, 2019
8:00 am–3:30 pm
Hamline University – Anderson Center
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
2019 Math Institute
Hamline University – Anderson Center
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
Registration Deadline: FRI. 9/13/19 (NOTE: Registrations after 9/13/19 will incur a $15 late fee) This is a Math Institute you won’t want to miss! We have the opportunity to learn from THREE renowned local and national math experts: Sara Van Der Werf, nationally board-certified teacher and… Learn More
Hamline University – Anderson Center
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States
774 Snelling Ave. N.
Saint Paul, MN 55104 United States