Selecting & Adapting a
Textbook For ESL
Students
OCSD
Modifying a Textbook
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Pre-teach and preview the material
Outline the required text
List vocabulary words and definitions
Provide a checklist of required
assignments/due dates
• Provide a study guide
• Provide audio-tape of the material
Previewing and Preteaching Strategies
• Preview bold-faced print and
italicized words, headings, and
subheadings with students
• Furnish a weekly list of vocabulary
and bold-faced words to the students
in advance
• Use the words in sentences directly
related to the context of the chapter
(Cont.)
• Generate chapter vocabulary lists
from textbooks
• Include chapter title and page
number
• Offer vocabulary lists to students
and support teachers
• Provide a list of discussion questions
with page number location clues
(Cont.)
• Provide an outline of main ideas
and vocabulary words for each
unit
• Provide a pad of Post-It notes;
the student jots down notes,
words and questions and applies
the notes directly to the
textbook
Color-Coding Ideas
• Purchase several textbooks for
the purpose of highlighting
information
• Color code the student textbook
• For example, use yellow for
vocabulary words, blue for
definitions, and green to
highlight topic sentences
Audio Taping
• Record the lesson; allow student
to listen to tape with small
group or peer tutor
• Color code text to accompany
the audiocassette. Highlight
important information that
student is expected to know
Materials to Motivate
Readers
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Sports Page
Magazines, Newspapers
Biographies
Computer Aided Materials and
WebQuests
• Travel Brochures
• How-to-Books
Selecting Textbooks
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Attractive and Colorful
Self-Explanatory
Self-Correcting
Reusable Workbooks
Has Educational Software &
Audio-Tapes
• Lots of Pictures, Charts, &
Graphs
Including Non-Readers
• Use Guided Reading to read text
aloud
• Divide students into two groups with
one group doing something else
while you read aloud to the other
• Group students into cooperative
groups and have them read aloud to
each other
Thank-you !