By the time I got to school, we had super high-tech reading machines that projected texts bit by bit at ever increasing speeds. I remember the pressure was thrilling!

This news-based site offers a modern take on the same idea, with a scrolling reading activity that can be run at three speeds. For each news item there are numerous online as well as printable activities including listening, speaking and writing as well.

Most tools offer a text option to enter content, which means that instead of having to navigate through lots of little boxes that need to be filled out, you enter text with code (like * means the next thing is the answer). If you already have some questions and answers you can ask AI to reformat it with the code. Of course, You can ask AI to give you the questions and answers too, but you REALLY have to check them.

Just a warning on using AI to generate content. We know that it's diversity representation score is currently sitting somewhere around 0 out of 10. Not very good for helping your students picture their ideal future L2 selves. You will need to adjust any AI generated content to fix this.

Many of the resources are free. Subscription resources (like Fling the Teacher which even my adult students like) can be used but not saved. A hack for this is to simply save the input code (see AI post above) on a Word doc. 

The Centre also provides specialised kits for the New Arrivals Program, supporting newly arrived EAL/D students with curriculum-aligned materials and teaching guides . Additionally, it offers professional learning pathways and curated resources to help educators meet the diverse needs of their students.

While there isn't a specific "Welcome Pack" mentioned, the program includes various resources and activities aimed at easing students into their new school community. These may involve orientation sessions, introductions to key staff members, and information about school structures and routines . Additionally, schools may provide materials and support tailored to the needs of newly arrived students to facilitate their integration.

Think-alouds

Think-alouds have been described as “eavesdropping on someone’s thinking.” With this strategy, teachers verbalise aloud while reading a selection orally. Their verbalisations include describing things they’re doing as they read to monitor their comprehension. The purpose of the think-aloud strategy is to model for students how skilled readers construct meaning from a text.

Unique to Baruch College, TfCS helps to increase student engagement, academic momentum, degree completion, and post-graduation success. Additionally, TfCS enriches the diversity of the College by fostering intercultural communication, inclusion, and global awareness among its multilingual and multicultural community.