Resources
Results
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.
Describing & Distinguishing Shapes
This beginning ESL Math Lesson/Unit Plan focuses on acquiring and using vocabulary to describe the attributes of shapes and groups of objects.
A New Home
This beginning ESL ELA Lesson/Unit Plan and accompanying evaluation tools covers a lesson on housing.
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.
Sounds of English
Sounds of English is a collaboration by Holly Gray and Sharon Widmayer that they started to help their ESL students develop their pronunciation and speaking skills. The site has been expanded to include information about their past research and presentations, lessons and activities for ESL teachers, and more.
Rigor, Relevance, and Respect for Beginning Adult English Learners
Oxford Picture Dictionary author Jayme Adelson-Goldstein shares tips for laying the foundation of college and career readiness skills in beginning level adult instruction.
Pronunciation Pull-Out Kit
The Pronunciation Kit provides activity instructions for a wide variety of activities that focus on helping learners improve their pronunciation of English suprasegmentals (intonation, rhythm, stress, etc.). The activities in this kit can be used with low-beginning to advanced level English language learners.
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.
News in Levels: World News for Students of English
This website has articles collected from around the world available in three different levels. Each level has highlighted vocabulary words and a listening track so that readers can hear a native English speaker reading the article.
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.
Making It Real: Teaching Pre-Literate Adult Refugee Students
This book is a great place reference for both new and experienced teachers. It covers a variety of effective practices for teaching low-literate adult refugees, and describes techniques and activities that support these practices.
Incorporating Goal-Setting in Adult ESL Classrooms
This PowerPoint outlines goal-setting projects and their results in beginning level adult ESL classrooms. Images of handouts and descriptions of activities are provided.
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.
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.
Facilitating Adult Learner Interactions to Build Listening and Speaking Skills
A Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) research brief that includes techniques to promote successful language learning interactions, examples of activities, and special considerations for beginning-level learners.
ESL Literacy Readers
This collection of 40 theme-based readers features adult ESL learners engaging in everyday work and life activities. These readers, along with an instructor's guide, were developed to help ESL teachers create comprehensive, theme-based lessons for adult ESL learners.
Breaking News English
This website is a long-time teacher favorite, featuring readings from news stories around the world in seven different levels. Each article is written in three to four different levels and contains printable activities and handouts.
Beginning and Literacy Level Adult ESL Students
This online collection from the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition contains links and citations for multiple articles, guides, and handbooks focused and adult literacy level readers.
New Resources
Community Interpreter Credential
Resources related to Community Interpreter have been collected by an ATLAS Credential Specialist experienced in this field. The PDF includes information on the credential including testing, ABE and non-ABE providers that offer training, curriculum links, potential participants, Minnesota wage and outlook information and additional certifications on this career pathway.
Certified Nursing Assistant Credential
Resources related to Certified Nursing Assistant have been collected by an ATLAS Credential Specialist experienced in this field. The PDF includes information on the credential including testing, ABE and non-ABE providers that offer training, curriculum links, potential participants, Minnesota wage and outlook information and additional certifications on this career pathway.
Food Protection Manager Credential
Resources related to Food Protection Manager have been collected by an ATLAS Credential Specialist experienced in this field. The PDF includes information on the credential including testing, ABE and non-ABE providers that offer training, curriculum links, potential participants, Minnesota wage and outlook information and additional certifications on this career pathway.
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
April 19, 2024
9:00 am–1:00 pm
Online
Adult Career Pathways Institute
Online
Registration Deadline: FRI. 4/19/24 Join ATLAS for a half day, virtual conference on all things Adult Career Pathway! This year’s ACP Institute will feature a welcome from Minnesota ABE Director, Brad Hasskamp. We will introduce Credential Specialists in the areas of Certified Nursing Assistant, Community Interpreter and… Learn More
Online
April 19, 2024
1:00 pm–4:00 pm
Online
Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices Study Circle
Online
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FRI. 2/23/24 To do our work well, educators need to be aware of students’ possible experiences stemming from trauma in a myriad of forms, as well as implications for teaching and learning. In this study circle, a lens of trauma-informed instruction is used to deepen our… Learn More
Online
April 23, 2024
12:00 pm–1:30 pm
Online
Administrator Webinar: Leading ABE Programs with a Trauma-Informed Lens
Online
Registration Deadline: TUE. 4/23/24 As leaders of ABE programs, coordinators and administrators can do much to create organizations and learning environments that are trauma-informed and healing-centered. In this webinar, join Lucille Rosario, a nationally-known social worker and educator, as she walks us through how leaders can directly impact… Learn More
Online