EAL/ESL literacy learners need learning resources that are appropriate for their level of language and literacy skills. Resources must be accessible to learners, adequately supported, orally familiar, and at or slightly above their current level of understanding. There are resources available that are developed specifically for EAL/ESL literacy learners (available on Tutela and in other places). Many of these resources are listed in Section 10.2.

Many EAL/ESL literacy instructors also create some of their own learning materials. This gives them the opportunity to be intentional with every aspect of the materials, and many instructors find that it is faster to create something than to find exactly what they’re looking for.


Whether instructors are finding or creating learning materials, there are a number of things to consider:

1. Hands-on materials: Use many hands-on materials such as beads, small stones, bingo chips, games, cards, and play money.

2. Realia: Use realia such as signs, environmental print, flyers, posters, medication bottles, food containers, and websites.

3. Songs: Use songs and chants, with or without motions and gestures.

4. Images: Use images that are appropriate to the level and the development of visual literacy, starting with clear photographs on a white background and progressing by CLB 4L to drawings and more stylized images; beware of visual conventions such as speech bubbles, thought bubbles, and speed lines. For examples of images, see ESL Image Bank.

5. Font and font-size: For CLB Foundation L – CLB 2L, use a font that uses an <a> and <g> that mimics hand printing, such as Century Gothic, Comic Sans, Mangal Pro, or Tenorite, and use a significantly increased font size.

6. White space: Use materials with plenty of white space and no extra text or images on the page. For writing tasks, use lined paper.

7. Wrap-around text: Start to introduce some wrap-around text at CLB 2L. CLB 3L and 4L can tolerate regular wrap-around text.

8. Familiar language: All written language should be orally familiar. By CLB 4L, learners can begin to decode truly unknown words but will need strategies for finding meaning.

9. Sentence level: Progress from single words to compound and simple complex sentences:

Single word à repeated sentence stems à simple sentences à compound sentences and simple complex sentences

10. Clear, level-appropriate instructions and assessment tools: All materials should have clear instructions that use familiar symbols or level-appropriate language; all assessment tools should use level-appropriate language and/or familiar symbols. Review action-oriented feedback with learners immediately and orally.