LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

CEU courses open for enrollment

Teaching English Language Learners in Your Online Course - Carolina Online Teacher Program
Understand the needs of English Language Learners and students with low academic literacy skills. You’ll learn strategies for reaching all students, as well as how to structure discussions for clarity.
Take this course: Begins May 12.

From the education reference

active reading
A manner of reading in which the reader is mentally engaged with a text and reads for comprehension and criticism as well as reads selectively and with a purpose.
sustained silent reading
A period of uninterrupted silent reading in the classroom, typically from fifteen to thirty minutes.

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Reading comprehension and English language learners
Teaching reading comprehension and helping English language learners are the responsibility of every teacher, but they are also within the abilities of every teacher. These articles provide strategies for building content-area reading comprehension before, during, and after reading that can help English language learners — and all learners.
Format: series (multiple pages)
Checking comprehension
In Ongoing assessment for reading, page 2.4
Many assessments for students’ comprehension contain questions to be answered by the student. Miscue analysis makes retelling the performance of comprehension. When a student completes a reading, the teacher should facilitate both an unaided and aided retelling...
By Jeanne Gunther.
Summarizing the session
In Ongoing assessment for reading, page 2.6
After the reading, comprehension check, and miscue analysis, all of the information gathered should be recorded. This single-page report will help identify patterns in use by the reader. The totals for graphic similarity, semantic and syntactic usage should...
By Jeanne Gunther.
Assessing reading comprehension with English language learners
In Reading comprehension and English language learners, page 3
Strategies such as flow charts can help you assess reading comprehension for English language learners, content-area learners, and all students.
By Ellen Douglas.
Ongoing assessment for reading
Ongoing, informal assessment is crucial to teaching reading. Using audio and visual examples, this edition explains the use of running records and miscue analysis, tools that help a teacher to identify patterns in student reading behaviors and the strategies a reader uses to make sense of text.
Format: series (multiple pages)
Wolves: Comprehending informational texts
This integrated plan uses non-fiction text and wolves to motivate students with language arts and science. Students will read a nonfiction text and use metacognitive skills of guided reading and KWHL chart to monitor comprehension and extend vocabulary.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts)
By Amy Vance.
Getting in order: "Jack and the Beanstalk"
The students will read "Jack and the Beanstalk" as a group and create flip books to illustrate and sequence the main events.
Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts)
By Leslie Robinson1.
Novel study: Lucky Charms and Birthday Wishes
Although this is a unit developed for instruction in language arts, it has a curriculum focus for healthful living. The unit usually takes about 4–5 weeks to complete. A major piece of this unit focuses on identifying and listing characteristics of people.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)
By Michael Miller.
Self-corrections
In Ongoing assessment for reading, page 1.5
Although self-corrections may seem less important as a diagnostic tool than errors, they demonstrate the way in which a reader is working to make sense of a text and allow the teacher a glimpse into the child's thinking. Teachers can identify patterns of a...
By Jeanne Gunther.
Inching through oral language for ESOL students
This lesson will use the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle to help the student use clear and precise language to demonstrate comprehension.
Format: lesson plan (grade K English Language Arts)
By Angela Goldberg.
Directed reading lesson: Dear Mr. Blueberry
This plan is a directed reading/thinking activity for the book Dear Mr. Blueberry with questioning and a follow-up written activity that focuses on the story elements. Another activity involves discussing facts about whales in the story and, then, finding other facts about whales that are used for a writing activity.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 English Language Arts)
By Candace Hall.
Singing the "Song of Life"
This lesson requires students to use their reading, comprehension, and analysis skills to analyze a poem and respond creatively to the selection.
Format: lesson plan (grade 11 English Language Arts)
By Angela Taylor.
Text selection
In Ongoing assessment for reading, page 1.3
Finding the instructional level Texts selected for running records should challenge a student sufficiently that he or she makes some errors for the student to analyze, but not enough that he or she becomes frustrated. This level is called the instructional...
By Jeanne Gunther.
Shared reading with Soñar un Crimen
This lesson focuses on basic pronunciation and comprehension skills while reading the first chapter of the mystery Soñar un crimen by Rosana Acquaroni Muñoz. Students will also practice the use of interrogatives. As an end result, students will produce crossword puzzle clues that review key elements of the first chapter.
Format: lesson plan (grade 9–12 Second Languages)
By Rachel Casady.
English language learners
An introduction to LEARN NC's resources for teachers and administrators working with students with limited English proficiency.
Format: bibliography/help
Which word is it?
Students will determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using Context Clues, a dictionary, and structural analysis within a game format.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)
By Donna Harkey.
Arctic animals
This is a whole language lesson for Speech Language Pathologists incorporating listening comprehension, categorizing, following verbal directions, and basic vocabulary and language concepts for First grade students.
Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Science)
By Susan Ayers.
The bear who wouldn't sleep
Intermediate-level ESL students will apply facts from a content-based reading passage to create a short story about a bear who doesn't hibernate with his family.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2 English Language Arts)
By Donna Kauffman.
Reading comprehension: What works?
Teach reading comprehension in the elementary grades with flexible strategies that connect reading to the real world, promote independence, and keep students engaged.
By Mary Rogers Rose.
Anticipation guide: "A Little Kingdom in Carolina"
A learner's guide to the article "A Little Kingdom in Carolina," this activity will help student comprehension.
Format: worksheet/learner's guide (grade 8 Social Studies)
By Pauline S. Johnson.