- Reasons the resource has implications for the adult education field;
- Resource’s potential use; and,
- Most significant or useful features to the target audience(s).
- Reasons the resource has implications for the adult education field;
- Resource’s potential use; and,
- Most significant or useful features to the target audience(s).
- Reasons the resource has implications for the adult education field;
- Resource’s potential use; and,
- Most significant or useful features to the target audience(s).
- RF.1. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. (Print Concepts)
- RF.2. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). (Phonological Awareness)
- RF.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. (Phonics and Word Recognition)
- RF.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (Fluency)
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Abstract:
There's a lot of talk about the importance that employers place on workplace soft skills: clear and effective communication, critical thinking, and self-management. The question for beginning EL teachers is how to explicitly teach these skills. This webinar will introduce the concept of soft skills in the classroom, provide concrete language and activities for discussing and practicing them with learners, and language that learners can use in job interviews to share their abilities. Original webinar date: July 30, 2026 Webinar recording link: https://youtu.be/Ep8Lbz3hWWc
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Abstract:
This reflection explores how traditional financial literacy instruction in adult English language programs can unintentionally reinforce frustration rather than empowerment. While budgeting lessons are often introduced as practical tools for financial stability, they can expose deeper systemic barriers that make balancing income and expenses impossible for many adult learners. The hidden costs of poverty, such as limited access to affordable healthcare, childcare, transportation, and housing, as well as the financial obligations many immigrants carry, including remittances and repayment of travel loans, are examined. Effective financial literacy instruction must move beyond budgeting to include navigation of systems, resources, and community supports. When educators frame financial literacy as both language and resource literacy, lessons become opportunities for empowerment and advocacy rather than deficit-based exercises. The reflection calls on adult education practitioners to recognize learners’ cultural and familial responsibilities as integral to financial decision-making and to teach financial skills that are relevant, compassionate, and connected to real life.
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Abstract:
This reflection examines the vulnerabilities adult ESOL learners face and the instructional strategies used to address them. Drawing from classroom experience, the author explores how cultural differences between students' countries of origin and the United States create vulnerabilities as learners navigate unfamiliar financial systems. These vulnerabilities emerge when discussing critical topics such as credit scores, insurance, and identity and wealth protection. Through critical reflection on teaching practice, culturally responsive pedagogy is identified as the foundation for effective financial literacy instruction. Specific instructional methodologies employed are designed to bridge cultural gaps and build students' confidence in managing personal finances. Key strategies include vocabulary building, interactive lectures enhanced by invited resource speakers, collaborative discussions, project-based learning, and students' reflections. These approaches yielded significant positive outcomes, with students demonstrating increased confidence and competence in financial decision-making. Notable success stories include three students: one who trained as a tax preparer and two who became insurance agents, transforming from learners into professionals guiding others through these complexities. The conclusion presents implications for ESOL practitioners, emphasizing multiple instructional approaches that empower learners to achieve professional advancement and community integration.
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Abstract:
This is an English learner's guide to health care and healthy living.
Publication Year
2014
Resource Type
Informational Material
Key Words
Number of Pages
168
Product Type
Target Audience
Abstract
This guide is meant to be used directly with adult learners in adult education classrooms as instructional materials. It can also be used as a conversation starter for adult education professionals in thinking about issues/skills to introduce in classrooms, programs, and materials.
This is ready-to-use in the classroom or a tutoring session. It can also be given to students for their own use. The Guide itself was designed for beginner level ESOL students and can be used with or without guidance. It is written at a 3-4 grade level and is supported by pictures, a glossary and a well-designed plain language format. The Staying Healthy for Beginners Teachers Guide supports teachers and/or tutors in using the Guide as a basis for a variety of particpatory teaching activities.
Benefits and Uses
Staying Healthy is an award-winning curriculum that is used throughout the United States. It is written at a 4th-5th grade reading level and is suitable for low intermediate level ESOL learners and above. The newly-released Staying Healthy for Beginners is written at a lower reading level, making it more accessible to learners at the high beginning level.
What the experts say
This is an important contribution to the adult education field. Staying Healthy for Beginners is a great way to build adult learner skills and to introduce conversations around personal health.
This is a beautiful booklet that students can easily read and use to gain knowledge about taking care of their health and and confidence to interact with the healthcare system. Few resources known have this many colorful pictures and as "friendly" a design for lower level readers of English. Besides the information, the booklet includes things like dialogues, personal stories, simple charts, and interactive activities to engage the learner. There are some places that let them fill out real information that will help them with healthcare activities. The guide is something that students can keep at home and use even after the class is over, and many students have told teachers that they share the information with friends and family. There has been a big need for health literacy resources for beginner level students, and this fills that need.
This is an addition to the earlier resource: Staying Healthy: An English Learner’s Guide to Health Care and Healthy Living. It uses the same principles as that first Guide, which has been used in programs all over the country to rave reviews. The original Guide was pilot tested and found to be effective at improving students' knowledge of health issues and intention to interact more fully with the health care system and their healthcare providers.
Please see the ongoing discussion about this resource in the LINCS Health Literacy Community of Practice.
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
This issue brief, one of the resources in the suite of materials “Preparing English Learners for Work and Career,” provides teachers and administrators with an overview of current research and practice related to connecting English language acquisition to career pathways.
Publication Year
2015
In the United States, as elsewhere, there is an increasing demand for job-driven adult education that teaches adults the skills needed for work. In many cases, education that prepares adults for employment opportunities calls for collaborative relationships between training providers, such as community colleges that offer career pathways, and adult education programs that focus on English language acquisition (ELA). This Brief provides an overview of current research and practice in career focused contextualization. Although the Brief can be used as a stand-alone resource, it also provides the foundation to the other resources in the suite of materials “Preparing English Learners for Work and Career.”
Benefits and Uses
The benefits and uses section will include the:
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
This issue brief, one of the resources in the suite of materials “Meeting the Language Needs of Today’s Adult English Language Learner,” presents an overview of the need for increased rigor in all English language acquisition programs.
Publication Year
2015
This Issue Brief seeks to address the gaps that exist between what is offered in adult English language acquisition (ELA) programming with regard to academic and work readiness (academic language, analytical and reasoning skills, organizational skills, strong oral and written communication skills) and the expectations in employment and postsecondary training. Increased demands are reflected in the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS), which represent the real-world demands of postsecondary training and employment, as well as in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).
This Brief provides an overview of current research and practice. It draws from current scholarship, highlights issues in the topic and provides an update to adult educators as well as to other relevant audiences, such as government representatives, policymakers and researchers. Although the Brief can be used as a stand-alone document, it also provides the foundation to the other resources in the suite of materials “Meeting the Language Needs of Today’s Adult English Language Learner”.
Benefits and Uses
The benefits and uses section will include the:
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
This issue brief, one of the resources in the suite of materials “Integrating Digital Literacy into English Language Instruction,” presents a broad overview of digital literacy as it relates to adult learners in English language acquisition programs.
Publication Year
2015
This Issue Brief synthesizes current research and presents perspectives on digital literacy in English language acquisition. It includes an introduction to the definitions of literacy that are expanded to include digital literacies. The concept of “digital divide” is reframed as a continuum of digital skills, including the language, technology and problem-solving skills required for participation in everyday digital contexts. Because technologies and their uses continually change, requiring different skills, everyone is a learner with respect to digital literacy. This shifts the role of the teacher to that of a co-learner, in addition to orchestrating learning. Although the Brief can be used as a stand-alone resource, it also provides the foundation to the other resources in the suite of materials “Integrating Digital Literacy into English Language Instruction.”
Benefits and Uses
The benefits and uses section will include the:
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.
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Abstract:
Beginning Alphabetics Tests and Tools (BATT) strives to provide a ‘principled’ system for ABE/ESL teachers who want and/or need to develop their students’ knowledge of Roman alphabet letters, English letter-sound patterns, sight or high frequency words, and transfer of those lettersound-word skills to text fluency and comprehension.
Publication Year
2015
Beginning Alphabetics Tests and Tools (BATT) strives to provide a 'principled' system for ABE/ESL teachers who want and/or need to develop their students' knowledge of Roman alphabet letters, English letter-sound patterns, sight or high frequency words, and transfer those letter-sound-word skills to text fluency and comprehension. This resource includes: 1) teacher-friendly tests for determining known and unknown skills, 2) evidence-based reading instructional practices, orders, approaches, and lesson plans for teaching unknown skills, 3) teacher-tested lists of other activities and materials, and 4) time-saving teacher resources. It was also piloted by a group of MN ABE/ESL reading teachers, who contributed their insightful feedback, teacher-tested tools, and testimonials.
BATT is closely aligned with four Reading Standards: Foundational Skills (K–5) from the Minnesota Academic Standards (MDE, 2010) and Career and College Readiness Standards for Adult Education (OCTAE, 2013):
What the experts say
Beginning Alphabetics Tests and Tools offers ABE/ESL instructors a simple but comprehensive toolkit for encouraging adults to develop a strong foundation for reading English well. The activities within support best practices from evidence-based recommendations in literacy instruction and provide instructors with the tools (handouts, plans, resources, tests) to engage beginning readers as they learn to read and, hopefully, enjoy reading!
The resource provides a teacher-friendly collection of free, accessible assessment tools for practitioners to use that target alphabetics instruction for beginning readers. In addition, the resource takes a pragmatic approach to phonics instruction, thoughtfully describing and then applying synthetic, analogic, and analytic approaches in ways that make sense for various purposes. Furthermore, the five lesson plans progress developmentally, addressing increasingly higher stages of students’ alphabetics knowledge and providing a picture of the scope of instruction in this area. If used within a balanced approach to literacy instruction and introduced with training (or used by someone with a general knowledge of alphabetics instruction), this resource could be a valuable one for teachers of adults being introduced to literacy.
Users are encouraged to read the front matter at the beginning of each section with care since good directions and advice are offered there—and it may be easy to overlook them. Of special note: the authors invite users to adapt the assessment directions as needed, and practitioners may want to do so. For instance, students are usually not told what the test is about until step 6 or 7—after the demonstration of what to do on the test. In general, it would be better to tell them the purpose of test first and then provide the demo, so students know what to attend to in the demo.
Resource Notice
This site includes links to information created by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the user’s convenience. The U.S. Department of Education does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this non-ED information. The inclusion of these links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse views expressed, or products or services offered, on these non-ED sites.
Please note that privacy policies on non-ED sites may differ from ED’s privacy policy. When you visit lincs.ed.gov, no personal information is collected unless you choose to provide that information to us. We do not give, share, sell, or transfer any personal information to a third party. We recommend that you read the privacy policy of non-ED websites that you visit. We invite you to read our privacy policy.