Welcome
Posted by joan | Filed under Welcome
Welcome to Best of The Reader, a series of e-books for adult literacy and English as a second language learners. This site has 14 e-books, a teachers’ guide, and a calendar of special days and holidays for 2013.
Each e-book has 8 to 10 stories, and each story has exercises and activities to go with it. There is also an answer key in each e-book. The stories, recipes, puzzles, and other material are from past issues of The Westcoast Reader (1982-2009), a newspaper for adults who are improving their English reading skills.
You have permission to download, print, and distribute all the material on this site. To view and print the e-books, you may need to download and install the most recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
We welcome your feedback
Posted by joan | Filed under Feedback
We would like to hear from you. If you have any comments, suggestions or teaching ideas, please post them here.
Easy Stories: People
Posted by joan | Filed under Easy Stories
This e-book is designed for literacy level readers. Please note that it features a selection of stories from some of the other e-books on this site. The stories are all written at the easiest (one book) level.
Amazing Stories
Posted by joan | Filed under Amazing Stories
Stories include:
- Students and teacher deliver baby
- Climber loses nine fingers
- Pi is lost for 26 days
- Two amazing friends
- People rescue trapped horses
Click the link to download the e-book Amazing Stories.
Canada
Posted by joan | Filed under Canada
Articles include:
- Canada quiz
- July 1 is Canada’s birthday
- Helping newcomers adjust to Canada
- Workers find dinosaur tracks in B.C.
- Terry Fox is a Canadian hero
Click the link to download the e-book Canada.
Canada’s Aboriginal People
Posted by joan | Filed under Canada's Aboriginal People
Stories include:
- Susan Aglukark
- Small business is a big success
- A Haida legend
- Susan Point is a Coast Salish artist
- National Aboriginal Day
Click the link to download the e-book Canada’s Aboriginal People.
Families
Posted by joan | Filed under Families
Stories include:
- A family farm
- Sikh family celebrates
- Helping children learn
- Trinidadian family is happy in B.C.
- Family life with Baby Blues (cartoons)
Click the link to download the e-book Families.
Keeping Safe
Posted by joan | Filed under Keeping Safe
Stories include:
- What to do in an earthquake
- Boy saves neighbours from fire
- Tips for preventing falls
- How to be safe around dogs
- Safety tips at the ATM
Click the link to download the e-book Keeping Safe.
Many Ways to Help
Posted by joan | Filed under Many Ways to Help
Stories include:
- Small loans help poor people
- An ESL class finds a way to help
- Mehdi helps Jonathan learn
- Simon works to save rare bears
- Students send quilt to Afghanistan
Click the link to download the e-book Many Ways to Help.
People and Jobs
Posted by joan | Filed under People and Jobs
Stories include:
- Window washer has a great view
- Alix works at a garden centre
- Ferry captain is at the top
- Making guitars is a family tradition
- RCMP officer is from Mexico
Click the link to download the e-book People and Jobs.
Readers’ Stories
Posted by joan | Filed under Readers' Stories
Stories by readers include:
- Save our planet
- Gabi’s hiccups
- New Year’s in Thailand
- Legend of the dancing goats
- Honeymoon in Paris
Tags: Readers' Stories
Recipes
Posted by joan | Filed under Recipes
Recipes include:
- Healthy snacks
- Fruit smoothie
- Greek salad
- Sweet chili tofu stir-fry
- Cranberry pear crumble
Special Days and Holidays
Posted by joan | Filed under Special Days and Holidays
Holidays include:
- Lunar New Year
- Easter
- Vaisakhi
- Ramadan
- Thanksgiving
Click the link to download the e-book Special Days and Holidays
Sports
Posted by joan | Filed under Sports
Stories include:
- Swedish twins are hockey players
- Grey Cup
- Joannie is an Olympic athlete
- Olga is a track star at 90
- Two Brazilian soccer players
Click the link to download the e-book Sports.
Word Games and Puzzles
Posted by joan | Filed under Word Games and Puzzles
Puzzles include:
- Crosswords
- Find the differences
- Sudoku
- Word play
- Find the words
Click the link to download the e-book Word Games and Puzzles.
Your Health
Posted by joan | Filed under Health
Articles include:
- Choose healthy food
- Exercise is good for you
- Take care of your teeth
- Protect yourself from colds and flu
- Diabetes is a serious disease
Teachers’ Guide
Posted by joan | Filed under Teachers' Guide
The guide has four sections: Pre-reading Activities, Listening and Speaking Activities, Reading Comprehension Activities, and Activities for Developing Vocabulary. Each section has an introduction and sample activities.
I hope that teachers will be able to customize the suggested activities to fit the needs, interests, and ages of their students as well as their language and reading levels.
