Preparing English Language Learners for Purposeful Reading
Preparing English Language Learners for Purposeful Reading
This resource presents three standards-based activities that instructors can use to prepare learners for purposeful reading by activating background knowledge, highlighting key vocabulary, and establishing context before reading meaningful text.
Preparing ELLs for Purposeful Reading Webinar Materials
The Text
This resource demonstrates activities for purposeful reading using a text from The Change Agent. The text, Celebrating Freedom on Juneteenth by Inez Sadler, has been adapted to a fourth grade reading level and is appropriate for the Beginning/Low Intermediate Adult Basic Education or the Low/High Intermediate ESOL classroom. However, the goal is that instructors are able to adapt these activities to best fit the proficiency levels of their learners.
Activity 1: Jigsaw with Visuals
The following video presents an explanation for the standards connected to this activity and the steps for completing the activity. The purpose of this activity is to introduce learners to the topic and active background knowledge that learners might have related to that topic, the time period, the people involved in the text, etc. The visuals should focus on the who, what, and when information that provides context for the text.
Activity Materials:
Activity 2: Building Knowledge with Word Clouds
The following video presents an explanation for the standards connected to this activity and the steps for completing the activity. The purpose of this activity is to build learner knowledge related to the vocabulary in the text. This activity can also help learners start to think about the main idea and concepts that the text focuses on.
Activity Materials:
Activity 3: Building Fluency with Reading Aloud
The following video presents an explanation for the purpose of, the standards connected to, and the steps for completing this activity.
Activity Materials: