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Promising Practices for IET Programs That Serve Beginning-Level Learners

One of six installments in the IET Strategies in Action series, this brief discusses how two strategies—bridge programs and stackable credentials—are implemented by local providers to serve beginning-level learners intentionally, and in some cases, how state-level guidance and support can enable these efforts.

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.

Pathway to Literacy Level Teacher Training

This training module explores definitions of adult EL emergent readers, best practices, lesson planning and learning activities, and showcases the Adult ELL Pathway to Literacy curriculum and assessment; a free resource for adult literacy level teachers.

CCRS in the ABE Classroom: Literacy Level ESL

This lesson focuses on Shift 1: Complexity; Reading Anchor 1, Levels A and B; Reading Anchor 2, Level A; Speaking and Listening Anchor 2, Level A; and Reading Foundations Anchors 1 and 2. The learners: 1) Ask and answer questions about key details in a text, 2) Ask and answer wh- questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, 3) Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text, 4) Confirm understanding of an oral text by asking and answering questions, and 5) Isolate the initial and final sounds of spoken words. 

Showing Evidence Using Academic Language with Low Literacy Learners

Participants in this workout practice scaffolding a lesson in which literacy level learners can use academic language to show evidence in a text.

Language Experience Approach and Adult Learners

This Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) article explains how the language experience approach (LEA) approach can be used in tutorial or classroom settings with homogeneous or heterogeneous groups of learners to help develop and strengthen English literacy skills.

Five Activities to Promote Interaction and Communication

This packet contains in-depth descriptions of five communicative activities that can be used with literacy- and beginning-level learners through advanced level learners.

Getting to the Rough Ground of Language and Literacy Learning Through the Language Experience Approach

This blog post from The Literacy Bug describes how teachers can use the language experience approach (LEA) to support early language learners by providing them with ample opportunities to hear, see, use and manipulate language in contextualized, purposeful ways.

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
Online

Racial Equity 101 Presented by Jimmie Heags

Online

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

Online
August 6, 2024 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Volunteer Core Training Module 1: Overview of Minnesota Adult Education and Program Accountability

Online

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

Online
August 13, 2024 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
Literacy Minnesota
Online

Volunteer Core Training Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners

Online

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

Online