Professional Development Resources for Beginning Literacy

Explore instructional strategies that are effective in the ESOL Literacy classroom.

Speaking Challenge Tools

Opening Routines

Watch this video from the Minnesota Literacy Council on delivering effective routines to begin your class and review core skills on a daily basis.

TPR in Literacy

Total Physical Response helps learners get active, verbal and participating in class with new or any unmastered vocabulary. These strategies are particularly useful in mixed level classes. 




In the first part of the video, Whole Body Movements, an instructor uses Total Physical Response (TPR) to teach beginning-level ESOL learners the meaning of the English verbal commands related to standing, sitting, walking, stopping, and turning around. 






In the second part, Expanding Vocabulary, the teacher uses different verbal commands to teach the names of common tools. 

How to Implement Line Dialogues

Use Line Dialogues to help students master simple conversational phrases and responses. This video demonstrates how to implement this strategy.

How Much Are the Peppers? A Comprehensive Guide to a Successful Literacy Class Environment

This is a 4-part video illustrating effective teaching strategies in an adult ESL classroom. The teacher uses pictures and text, and real fruits and vegetables to teach basic vocabulary and language structures. She connects classroom and community by having students go on a site visit to a local farm to practice the language they are learning. Students later visit a grocery store where they ask questions. Back in the classroom they compare prices and do further language work. Heide Spruck Wrigley narrates and highlights effective instructional strategies and promising practices, including "bringing the outside in." 

The final video in the series is an overview of the 10 steps used by the Literacy Instructor in the "How Much Are The Peppers" series that can strengthen any themed literacy lesson. Following these steps is a great way to create a healthy learning environment for students. 

Building Literacy with Adult Emergent Readers

"Building Literacy with Adult Emergent Readers" is from the video series "Teaching ESL to Adults: Classroom Approaches in Action" created by New American Horizons Foundation (2010) and shared here under the Creative Commons license. 

Using Books/Readers in the Literacy Classroom

Learners can feel more confident when using a source text and mastering the reading of that book. If can be shared with family at home as evidence if their learning progress. 

Developing Vocabulary

Find out more about developing vocabulary and background concepts: http://www.esl-literacy.com/essential... 

Using Games in the ESOL Classroom

Here are three examples of how to incorporate games into your ESL and EFL classes. 

Singing in the ESL Classroom

Watch this video to learn more about the benefits of singing and using songs in the ESL literacy classroom. For more information on ESL literacy, go to www.esl-literacy.com. 

Helping Cards

Use these cards to give students an opportunity to express their needs in class. The visual and written reference helps build their confidence in using classroom phrases such as " I don't understand." or "Please repeat."

PRINT THEM HERE

Comprehensible Input

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher presents a mini-lecture using photographs and graphics with PowerPoint on Texas geography. To help students build their background knowledge, strengthen vocabulary and increase their listening comprehension skills, she presents content information in a way that is accessible to students. This segment is an example of providing comprehensible input using PowerPoint (or overhead projection transparencies). 

Skills Practice

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, students practice their map skills and the use of directional words (north, south, etc.). This skill building activity follows on the geography lesson the teacher presented previously. 

Review of Alphabetizing

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher reviews alphabetical order with a multilevel group of students. She uses the states introduced in the geography lesson as examples. 

Sounds of English

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher reviews English vowel sounds to reinforce the idea that English vowel sounds shift depending on the environment in which they occur. She provides examples of long and short vowels. 

Fluency Practice

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher provides fluency practice by introducing a silly poem and having students focus on the sounds, rhythm and intonation of the poem. She encourages students to dramatize the last line of the poem to focus their attention on "expression." 

Personal Poetry

In this segment, the teacher connects fluency practice with self-expression by asking students to create a simple poem about themselves. To help beginning students, she models the activity using a poem about herself. 

Chalk Talk

In this segment, the teacher uses an approach known as "chalk talk" to make information accessible to students. She draws the story of how her parents came to the United States and at the same time tells the story in words. She then invites the students to retell the story and writes it on the board. This is a variation of the "language experience approach." 

Reading Text

In this segment, the teacher moves from using pictures and drawings to introducing a text. She reads the passage while the students listen and then breaks the group into teams to do work appropriate to their proficiency level. While the more advanced students read and answer comprehension questions, less proficient students tell and write their own story using the chalk talk method. 

Review and Closure

In this segment, the teacher wraps up the lesson by reviewing and reinforcing key concepts in reading. 

Bottle Tops in the Literacy Classroom

This video demonstrates the use of recycled bottle tops as word builders. This is an inexpensive way for students to take ownership of their learning experience and develop tools they can use at home as well.