Beginning ESL Story Bank

What is the ‘ESL Story Bank’? The story bank is a collection of short stories written specifically for adult ESL learners as part of Literacy Minnesota’s Adult ESL Curriculum with Transitions Skills. As part of a larger curriculum, these stories were written to align with specific themes and objectives of the lessons in which they are embedded. Many of these themes are common across adult ESL classrooms, such as healthcare and work. Others draw directly from content on the CASAS Life and Work reading tests.

Ideas for using the ‘ESL Story Bank’ The stories in the Beginning ESL Story Bank were designed to be used as a ‘story of the week’. Learners re-visit the story every day throughout the week. On each day they practice different skills with the text and deepen their understanding of the meaning. A sample story of the week lesson plan is included at the end of this document. Please note that the stories in the Beginning ESL Story Bank do not contain consistent follow-up worksheets; however, the story of the week lesson plans can still be adapted to work with these readings.