OhLitCo
A curated collection of tools, curricula, and websites vetted by Ohio's literacy community. More coming as we grow and if you have something to add, send it our way.
Showing all 16 resources
Immigrant Welcome Center, Indianapolis
A free, robust, well-rounded curriculum and assessment tool for adult learners with emerging literacy. Includes a 10-week sequence organized into four levels (A–D), a reading diagnostic, and an intake assessment covering native language, English decoding skills, and other entry skills. Materials use realistic photographs of real adults rather than cartoons, honoring learners' backgrounds and life experience.
What we love about it
A robust and well-rounded resource that includes assessment tools as well as a full curriculum. With everything hosted in Google Slides, this resource is easy to access and use.
ReEstablish Richmond / Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center
A free 12-week online curriculum developed for SLIFE refugees. Organized into three life-skills modules: Personal Information, Dates/Times and Calendars, and Money and Community. Two hours of instruction per week, integrating phonics without being purely phonics-driven.
What we love about it
The life-skills format means learners are building English and literacy skills around things that actually matter to them right now. It's a great fit for newly arrived learners who need both at once and don't have time to wait.
Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy & Learning (TCALL)
Twenty free, paper-based ESOL lessons integrating beginning English with foundational digital skills. Starts with keyboard basics and the alphabet, advances to internet use. Designed for NRS ESL Levels 1–3. Completely free, editable, and downloadable.
What we love about it
Two birds, one stone: English and digital skills together. It's fully editable, so you can make it your own, and the paper-based format means learners don't need a device to get started.
Portland Community College
A free, open-access workbook with three levels of interactive grammar lessons and reading activities: Beginning, High Beginning, and Intermediate. Each lesson includes embedded YouTube videos and self-correcting exercises, plus three original readers. Downloadable as PDF, EPUB, or Common Cartridge for LMS import.
What we love about it
Less grading, more learning. Learners can work through it on their own in class or at home, and the LMS import option means you're not starting from scratch if you already have a platform.
grammar-monster.com
A free website with hundreds of grammar lessons, tests, and videos covering parts of speech, punctuation, commonly confused words, and grammar errors. Each lesson includes an explanation, examples, and a short quiz. Tests can be downloaded as Word documents or PowerPoints for sharing via Google Classroom or WhatsApp.
What we love about it
A solid go-to for higher-level learners and honestly just as useful as a teacher reference when you need to brush up on grammar terminology before a lesson. The downloadable tests save real prep time.
Southwest Adult Basic Education (Marshall)
A free library of leveled reading stories with audio, comprehension questions, and downloadable PDFs. Stories are organized by CCRS Levels A–D and include over 1,000 supplemental resources Quizlet vocabulary sets, Google Forms quizzes, and Wakelet collections created by ABE instructors nationwide.
What we love about it
Adult-appropriate content that doesn't talk down to learners. The repeated reading format builds fluency and confidence, and the crowdsourced supplemental library means there's always something new to pull from.
University of Minnesota Duluth / Literacy Minnesota
Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support. A comprehensive, research-backed curriculum for intermediate and advanced adult English language learners, focused on academic vocabulary, comprehension, and digital literacy skills. Developed with a $2.8 million IES grant.
What we love about it
This fills a real gap most curricula stop at conversational English, but CILIA-T pushes learners toward the academic language needed for higher education, career advancement, and citizenship. Rigorous and free.
paceapp.ai
An AI-powered platform that transforms lesson content workforce training materials, news articles, open education resources into personalized, interactive exercises tailored to individual learner levels. Includes AI tutors with 24/7 multilingual support in 250+ languages. Free for teachers.
What we love about it
The pronunciation feedback is strong, the multilingual support in 250+ languages is no joke, and the engagement numbers are hard to argue with. Free for teachers, which is always the right price.
Literacy Minnesota
A set of five free, downloadable kits Pronunciation, Phonics & Phonemic Awareness, Speaking & Listening, Reading, and Citizenship each packed with grab-and-go activities for one-on-one, small group, or full class contexts. Includes assembly instructions, materials lists, tutor logs, and detailed activity guides.
What we love about it
Grab-and-go activities that actually work. The Pronunciation Kit is hard to find anywhere else, and the Citizenship Kit is a must-have for programs serving naturalization candidates. Low prep, high utility.
TIES Literacy Centre of Expertise
A growing library of leveled phonics-based stories for adult EAL learners, available as interactive digital versions and printable PDFs. Organized across four phonics levels (Initial Sounds, Short Vowels, Long Vowels, Comparing Vowels) with accompanying student workbooks and teacher guides. Uses real photos and adult-appropriate contexts throughout.
What we love about it
Structured literacy built for adults, not adapted from kids' content. The interactive digital versions are well-made, and the Canadian Indigenous Readers series is worth a look for anyone thinking about culturally responsive materials.
Public Library Association
A free online hub for digital literacy training operated by the Public Library Association. Offers short, video-based courses with narration on foundational skills: using a computer, navigating websites, email, internet privacy, and more. Available in English and Spanish. Also includes over 80 instructor templates and ready-to-use teaching materials.
What we love about it
Clean, accessible, and easy to navigate. The self-paced format works well for learners, and the instructor templates mean you're not building a digital literacy unit from zero.
CrowdED Learning / EdTech Center at World Education
A crowdsourced library of digital skills content curated by adult educators, digital navigators, and training providers. Organized to help adult learners achieve personal, civic, educational, and career goals. Content is contributed and vetted by practitioners in the field.
What we love about it
Built by practitioners, for practitioners. The content reflects what actually works in adult education settings, not what sounds good in a pitch. A strong complement to DigitalLearn if you're building out digital skills instruction.
learningchocolate.com
A free vocabulary learning platform organized into themed categories body, community, food, jobs, transportation, and more with picture dictionaries, audio pronunciation, and five interactive matching and dictation exercises per topic. Learners can choose from multiple language interfaces.
What we love about it
Easy to use, visually clear, and fun. The timed games are great for warm-ups or vocabulary review, the multilingual interface makes it accessible, and there's no login required. Learners can just jump in.
Rise / Articulate
A free interactive online course covering practical life skills for adult learners, including workplace readiness, communication, financial literacy, and navigating everyday situations. Self-paced and mobile-friendly.
What we love about it
Polished interactive design that respects adult learners' time and intelligence. The mobile-friendly format means learners can access it on their phones a real advantage for busy adults juggling work and family.
Worldreader
A free digital app helping parents and caregivers build daily reading routines with children ages 0–12. Thousands of culturally relevant books in multiple languages, paired with playful activities and practical reading tips. Works on any device smartphone, tablet, computer, or Chromebook. Winner of the 2023 Library of Congress Literacy Award.
What we love about it
It meets families where they are, on their phones, and makes reading together feel doable rather than daunting. Worth sharing with adult learners who are also parenting young children.
edWeb.net Teach to Read Community
A free on-demand webinar exploring how phonemic awareness instruction can be a game-changer for older students and adult learners who struggle with word reading. Part of edWeb's Teach to Read professional learning community. Educators can earn a free CE certificate upon completion.
What we love about it
Phonemic awareness doesn't stop being relevant after second grade, and this webinar makes that case well. The free CE certificate is accepted in 42 states for re-licensure, which is a nice bonus for a free resource.
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