Notes to the Instructor

I have often struggled to find reading materials that rise to the wisdom that Level 1 learners so often bring to the classroom, while still drawing on plain language. So I sought to write texts about things that really matter: healing, discovery, survival, relationships, justice, and connection to the land. I explored these themes through the lens of the plant world.

This reader contains nine original stories written specifically for adults, and is designed to accompany the BC Reads: Adult Literacy Fundamental English – Reader 1. This level-1 reader, one of a series of six readers, is roughly equivalent to beginner to Grade 1.5 in the K-12 system. For an overview of the contents, please refer to the Level 1 Scope and Sequence in the Appendix.

The online version of this course pack contains audio recordings of each story in the reader. These recordings, combined with vocabulary and word pattern exercises, prepare the Level 1 student to read each paragraph-long text with greater independence.

Depending on a learner’s readiness, you may wish to use the sentences in the Word Skills sections as dictation.

Exercises on the connections between consonant sounds and letters are beyond the scope of these books. I recommend using these books alongside a structured phonics program, such as the Wilson Reading System.

Font size and line spacing can be adjusted in the online view, and have been enhanced for the print and PDF versions for easier reading. This reader has been reviewed by subject experts from colleges and universities.

I hope these pages help ignite in your students a lifelong love of reading and discovery.

-Shantel Ivits