In the first discussion about resources, I recommended taking cues from your student. Taking cues only takes you so far, though; you still need to FIND the resources that the cues are leading you to use. The remaining discussions about resources will focus more on where the resources are. The topics in this discussion include using ELL/ESL resources, and finding and using internet resources.
2. Use ELL resources
The first thing that I tried, when looking for fruits & vegetables texts, was to look at ELL websites for texts on grocery shopping. One thing that I learned in my LMS tutor training was that there are many short stories and texts available online for ELL students, and I thought that resources about foods and groceries would probably be available. While I was hesitant at first to rely on ELL resources, I should not have been, and I quickly found a fantastic resource for basic texts (http://www.eslfast.com/). While these texts are primarily for earlier readers, they include many familiar day-to-day topics, including a number of short stories that I was able to use, and modify, to include the produce theme in our lessons.
In general, the ELL resources that I’ve found are best when you need texts for early readers (K-3rd grade reading level, for the most part) and when you're stuck for knowing what to read. They are also worthwhile to consider as a tool during your first lesson with a new student. Having a set of ELL short stories at different reading levels would provide you with a way to confirm your student's reading level, which will help you to understand what types of texts to choose for future lessons. Which brings me to another tip...
3. Try the Internet
Sometimes finding online resources can be especially daunting, because we're so used to relying on books and printed materials. Although I'm somewhat of a "digital native", I also struggled with the idea of using online resources for reading materials. I thought that I should be able to find books for my student, or at least real, printed, materials. Honestly, I started turning to the Internet out of necessity, at first, because I didn't have the time to spend in the library hunting down printed sources. During my search for produce/grocery texts, I stuck to searching for resources that I already knew about, looking for ELL stories and texts that might be appropriate. While writing this, however, I decided to run a simple Google search for "fruits and vegetables" and I see, in hindsight, that there are many interesting texts and articles that I could have used with my student in keeping with the produce theme. Everything from what and how many veggies to eat, to what fruits are best in what season.
While the Internet might not be the best source if you want longer texts, it is an especially good resource for generating ideas for lessons, as well as for finding shorter texts that might be incorporated into a larger lesson. Also, turning to websites like the LMS Adult Tutor Resources page (http://www.literacymidsouth.org/resources/practice-forms/), the Memphis Public Library page (http://www.memphislibrary.org/mplic-home), and other informational sites is a great way to find recommendations for both digital and print resources. And don't forget that sometimes the Google search is your most useful resource, anything your student might have a question about, or anything you might have a question about, Google typically knows the answer!
(Stay tuned for future resources installments, and happy reading!)
2. Use ELL resources
The first thing that I tried, when looking for fruits & vegetables texts, was to look at ELL websites for texts on grocery shopping. One thing that I learned in my LMS tutor training was that there are many short stories and texts available online for ELL students, and I thought that resources about foods and groceries would probably be available. While I was hesitant at first to rely on ELL resources, I should not have been, and I quickly found a fantastic resource for basic texts (http://www.eslfast.com/). While these texts are primarily for earlier readers, they include many familiar day-to-day topics, including a number of short stories that I was able to use, and modify, to include the produce theme in our lessons.
In general, the ELL resources that I’ve found are best when you need texts for early readers (K-3rd grade reading level, for the most part) and when you're stuck for knowing what to read. They are also worthwhile to consider as a tool during your first lesson with a new student. Having a set of ELL short stories at different reading levels would provide you with a way to confirm your student's reading level, which will help you to understand what types of texts to choose for future lessons. Which brings me to another tip...
3. Try the Internet
Sometimes finding online resources can be especially daunting, because we're so used to relying on books and printed materials. Although I'm somewhat of a "digital native", I also struggled with the idea of using online resources for reading materials. I thought that I should be able to find books for my student, or at least real, printed, materials. Honestly, I started turning to the Internet out of necessity, at first, because I didn't have the time to spend in the library hunting down printed sources. During my search for produce/grocery texts, I stuck to searching for resources that I already knew about, looking for ELL stories and texts that might be appropriate. While writing this, however, I decided to run a simple Google search for "fruits and vegetables" and I see, in hindsight, that there are many interesting texts and articles that I could have used with my student in keeping with the produce theme. Everything from what and how many veggies to eat, to what fruits are best in what season.
While the Internet might not be the best source if you want longer texts, it is an especially good resource for generating ideas for lessons, as well as for finding shorter texts that might be incorporated into a larger lesson. Also, turning to websites like the LMS Adult Tutor Resources page (http://www.literacymidsouth.org/resources/practice-forms/), the Memphis Public Library page (http://www.memphislibrary.org/mplic-home), and other informational sites is a great way to find recommendations for both digital and print resources. And don't forget that sometimes the Google search is your most useful resource, anything your student might have a question about, or anything you might have a question about, Google typically knows the answer!
(Stay tuned for future resources installments, and happy reading!)