Reading Resources

http://esl.about.com/od/readinglessonplan1/Lesson_Plans_for_English_Reading_Skills_for_ESL_EFL_Classes.htmThis link looks like a good site for reading comprehension lessons plans for multip level learners. Two examples from this site are included below:
http://esl.about.com/od/readinglessonplans/a/l_readcontext.htmThis site gives a lesson on using contextual cues to understand meaning, but uses nonsense words to do so. This is an important skill especially for those adult students who are studying English in order to pursue a higher education in a University setting; the lesson teaches skills in reading higher level material, where not every word will be recognized. I found the idea of using nonsense words a very practical, yet amusing approach to get across the point behind the lesson. The lesson was also structured to introduce the idea and then expanded to bring in elements the students can use when coming across unknown words in the future.
://esl.about.com/library/lessons/bltimetraveller.htmThis is another lesson for the high-intermediate learner and involves a technique called, "Brain Friendly Learning". The idea uses student movement, competition and visual images to help students retain their reading material. This particular reading excerpt is from the Time Traveller and I think would be an enjoyable activity to bring into a classroom. It would get students out of their desks and communicating with each other, and would also peak their interest to go back to the original text to see what they might have missed.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/esl/short-stories.htmlThis site discussions the advantages of using short stories as reading material for adult ESL learners. If one is happy to delve into material away from textbooks, one can see the benefit of using literature in this way. The following site is a comprehensive list of classic short stories:http://www.classicshorts.com/bib.html This list interests me, as I enjoy reading classic literature for pleasure, and hope others with similar interests will be able to select from this list to bring into their classrooms as well.
http://www.eslpartyland.com/teachers/reading/ab.htmThis next site from 'partyland'(!) offers an interesting technique using pairs of students to help each other with comprehension. I like the 'catch'; that comprehension is being checked on the story which each student heard from the other, so it combines listening with reading. There are several suggestions made to help the students in their tasks, thereby lessening any student anxiety which might arise. I'd like to try it out!
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/about-the-learning-network/This is a site the NY Times began as a reading resource for teachers. It originally was a Learning Network and was just reformatted into a blog site this month. One activity available to teachers is to show articles which are printed with blanks. The missing words missing are arranged out of order below. The students can read the articles and try to fill in the missing words and then check them against the original article. I like this option of keeping abreast of items in the news and also believe teachers can bring articles of special interest to their students. (After working with students, one begins to know their hobbies etc. either through questionnaires or good 'ole fashioned conversation!) Here's an example of a fill-in-the blank article related to Halloween:http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/frightful-fill-in/