Outside Tools and Resources

We have found other online resources that are very helpful for beginning English levels. These may not be as flexible or open as the H5P exercises or readers, but they might be a good fit for many contexts.

Additional Resources List

  1. Vocabulary Spelling City
  2. Classkick
  3. Padlet
  4. Readworks
  5. Additional Sites

Vocabulary Spelling City

PCC has provided students with access to premium accounts to use Vocabulary Spelling City, a third-party website that teaches vocabulary, spelling, and phonics through games and online activities. Instructors create a teacher account and then can copy existing themed word lists drawn from TeachABC English or generate their own word lists.

With a premium account, teachers can set up student accounts and give them individual usernames and passwords. Teachers can then issue assignments that specify word lists and activities. After students complete the assigned activities, they can continue to use the word lists in other games. These activities are flexible and can contract or expand to fill the time available. Word lists can be shared with other teachers.

Without a premium account, teachers should be able to work with word lists and share them with students, but students will not have their own logins or the ability to track their progress.

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ClassKick

ClassKick is a free third-party website that allows instructors to design activities similar to a collaborative whiteboard space with options for typing, drawing, audio recording and work with images.  Instructors who are new to ClassKick can watch an an introductory video here.

Students do not need to create accounts; instead, the teacher creates an account and then gives a direct link or class code to students in order to access individual assignments.

These ClassKick activities have been used along with the Digital Workbook materials in the past. As ClassKick continues to evolve, they may or may not continue to be accessible.

Module Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
1 How to use ClassKick (same for all levels) http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxQI9hQTtWxmib-6i7vDw How to use ClassKick (same for all levels) http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV3178enQieG1INQ3UquJg How to use ClassKick (same for all levels) http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxQI9hQTtWxmib-6i7vDw
2 Introductions, Phonics, Alphabet, Spelling http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVvQLKptSeKwi0ZY714lQw Alphabet, vowel/consonant; a/an http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV31_GgaSmmkTrwuiIRQXw Interview classmate about present activities; report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV6WiFLeS5KLQHWKdoUIEg
3 Numbers, How Many, There is/There are http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxRFdNmR16WX82h34w21g Numbers, Ordinal Numbers, There is/There are http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV323QD6SliSBAoGYw4QsQ Interview classmate about past activities; report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV6W5Ib8R-i3zjTQCxY4sA
4 To-Be Verb; Subject Pronouns; Feelings http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxSPU-oRbKKoChFm6BTIA Pronouns, To-Be Verb  http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV33DjK0SRi01XZ_Fa13CQ Interview classmate about future activities; report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV6W_OKoQiqBe_8iSrylTA
5 Pronouns, Family, To-Be Questions and Negation http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxXKbqSQ7y9Z7ABxvogpQ To-Be Verb http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV33LKtKSECiMcz3Ojn0vA Create family tree; report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV6XFyO2Q5GvUdOtXRivHw
6 Pronouns, To-Have Questions and Negation;. Home/kitchen http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxvzdVWS6u4DfZl58KMPw To-Have http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV33cqZjQc2wSQb9ZtWpuA Design dream house or room; report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV8jZWmNQJWlaRr54Ror4w
7 To-Be, To-Have with Food and Colors http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxwM2_zTrGfV7RCRgwmZw To-Have and Adjectives http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV33f3vlTo6RXcdczhlHCA Find a recipe & photo of your favorite dish; report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV8ja40XTDajSje4DwhDSA
8 To-Be, To-Have, Seasons, Time, Date, Colors http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxwTT9pQ_eBWoyFZEk1iA Time, Calendar, Demonstrative Pronouns http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV4GdrxwSe6JPN0DBsgx0A Scavenger Hunt: bring back photos, report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV8jcpZDQoqwqq44gmIunQ
9 Review Verbs; Daily Routines http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxwwla4QdCdNJfXa89jiA Review http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV4Glcr5Qiuo7zLsZOO-rQ Report on Holidays http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV8jiwS-QX6rK-ndnTH_tA
10 Weather; Review http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AVxxMjBqSCqAISG-7l0mEw Weather, Review http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV4Gjz-ASWmqjyUq4nhOog Give a Weather Report http://app.classkick.com/#/assignments/AV8jkEH7QRmT2ChOrUQUMA

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Padlet

Padlet is a free, interactive, multimedia sharing space that could be used for communal show-and-tell activities, etc. The teacher could pose a prompt, and students could reply with text, images, video, audio, links, etc. Students can then leave comments on each other’s posts or simply give a thumbs up or emoji. Padlets can be archived and revisited. Students do not need to create accounts.

We love using Padlets to get students sharing content with each other and commenting on each others’ posts. It can be a great way to document their learning and interests throughout the term.

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Readworks

ReadWorks is a free third-party website that can be used for sourcing reading material. A curated reading list for Level 3 students features an informational text and a literary text for each module, frequently connected to the overall theme of the module. Each reading includes an image, the text, an audio file, selected vocabulary support, and a short set of comprehension questions. Students do not need to create individual accounts; they use a single classroom ID and password. Instructors or tutors can quickly grade responses that are not automatically scored and then give feedback.

Teachers follow the instructions on ReadWorks to set up a classroom and roster, and then they choose texts for assignments. Then instructors give students their classroom code and password to complete the assignments. They are organized by module. In our in-person class, each module aligned to one week of class. They were chosen to align (or at least complement) the grammar and other activities from that week’s class. The types of texts include informative and literature genres.

ReadWorks Selections

Module Title Lexile Level Length in Words Type
1 Grandpa and Me 560 204 lit
1 People Need Computers 410 87 info
2 Symbols of the United States 550 207 info
2 Which Shopping Bag Is Best? 510 79 lit
3 A Trip to the Store 390 97 lit
3 All About Money 330 97 info
4 The Flu And You 480 197 info
4 Whom Does He Look Like? 460 95 lit
5 Maria Recycles 440 70 lit
5 Garbage in the Ocean 420 88 info
6 The Making of the United States Constitution 400 174 info
6 Carl's Garden Problem 340 106 lit
7 A Visit to the Farmer's Market 450 199 lit
7 Fruits Have Seeds 340 100 info
8 What You Need to Play Soccer 480 113 info
8 Margo's Idea 500 106 lit
9 The Moon Journal 470 147 lit
9 The Science of Taste 500 172 info
10 Happy Holidays! 470 206 info
10 Catch That Clock! 550 119 info
Extra It's Raining, It's Pouring! 530 274 info
Extra Breakfast Time 490 171 lit
Extra A Clean Park 220 233 lit
Extra No Problem! 130 97 info
Extra Martin Luther King Jr. 470 94 info
Extra What Is a Law? 400 86 info

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Additional Sites

  •   ESL Literacy Readers from Bow Valley College
    • Excellent materials for emerging readers.
    • Audio narration of short texts with engaging pictures.
    • Canadian context.
  • www.teachabcEnglish.com
    • “abc English is a curriculum for adult English learners that teaches basic English communication and reading skills, starting from the abc sounds.”
    • Includes extensive materials for phonics, literacy learners, pronunciation, vocabulary, and more, for free.
    • Texts are for sale, but the site includes free previews.
    • By Jennifer Christensen
  • Quizlet
    • Not 100% open, but mostly free resource for creating, using, and practicing flashcards

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License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

A Digital Workbook for Beginning ESOL Copyright © 2018 by Eric Dodson, Davida Jordan, and Tim Krause is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.