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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.

Activities for Tutoring a Pre-Literate Student

Find activities ideas for low-literacy learners in phonics, speaking, listening, reading, and writing in this handout.

Teaching Analogy Phonics (TAP, 2015)

Provides reading teachers and tutors with convincing background information and testimonials, a lesson plan model and template, other reinforcement ideas, and over 100 common or sequential phonogram and word family lists for immediate analogy phonics instruction.

Sound City Reading

This phonetic reading program website offers free PDF files of phonics books, workbooks, wall charts, flashcards, games, and activities at five levels. Materials are designed to be used sequentially, from the Learning the Alphabet through Basic and Advanced Phonics Patterns; however, it is also useful for older readers at beginning levels.

New American Horizons: Adult ESL Teacher Training Videos – Low Literacy

This collection of 12 teacher training videos were filmed in adult ESL classes and feature a variety of teaching strategies and activities. For teachers interested in learning more about working with low-literacy learners, there are three videos that address this level.

Phonics Pull-Out Kit

English language learners at many levels need additional assistance with building their phonetic awareness and strengthening their phonetic decoding abilities. The Phonics and Phonemic Awareness Kit provides a variety of activities that can be used with low-beginning to high-intermediate levels of English language learners.

Minnesota Literacy Council Pre-Beginning ESL Story Bank and Curriculum

This curriculum builds literacy skills and incorporates level-appropriate Transitions skills identified by the ATLAS program's Academic, Career & Employability Skills (ACES) initiative, as outlined in the Transitions Integration Framework (TIF), into every life skill unit.

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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PD Catalog

Get an overview of all MN Adult Education professional development (PD) activities in one convenient, searchable place!

PD Catalog

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

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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