Resources

Find quick links to practical ARB tools and resources including the benchmarks, assessment tools, teaching strategies, benchmarking materials, benchmarking tools, tutor training materials, and background research.

Alberta Reading Benchmarks

Alberta Reading Benchmarks for Adults (2nd ed.)
Rhyasen Erdman, Corrie
(2014)

This resource provides an introduction to and overview of the Alberta Reading Benchmarks.
It provides an in-depth description of the ARB levels.

The Alberta Reading Benchmarks Levels Chart
(2014)

This at-a-glance resource is adapted for easy reference from the practical teaching strategies in Sharing the Journey with Adult Indigenous Learners: A Teaching Strategies Guide.

Assessment

Read Forward
(2014)

Read Forward is a series of easy-to-use adult reading tests referenced to the International Adult Literacy Survey. This adult reading assessment resource contains thirty tests as well as answer keys, locator tests, results feedback forms, and a user guide. The Read Forward levels are aligned with the Alberta Reading Benchmarks.

Sample Diagnostic Reading Assessment
(2014)

This one page example demonstrates one way to use the ARB for informal instructor assessment.

Teaching Strategies

At a Glance ARB Teaching Strategies
(2014)

This is a guide for teaching reading to adult literacy learners.
It has many practical teaching strategies.

Sharing the Journey with Adult Indigenous Learners:
A Teaching Reading Strategies Guide
Pryce, Patricia
(2013)

This guide was developed for practitioners working with Aboriginal adult learners. The guide includes a summary of philosophies, principles, and general teaching/learning strategies that aim to reflect Aboriginal perspectives to make the journey toward reading literacy more accessible and authentic.

Creating a Learning Plan using the ARB
(2014)

This short learning module walks you through simple steps for setting learning goals, selecting content for learning, and finding appropriate teaching strategies.

Benchmarking Materials

How to Benchmark Materials to the ARB
Anderson, Lorene and Shelley Goulet
(2013)

This document provides resource-referencing guidelines for instructors and practitioners with a list of instructional resources that can be used at the various benchmarks.

A Starter List of Materials for ARB Levels 1A to 2B
Goulet, Shelley
(2013)

This resource provides a list of reading materials benchmarked to ARB levels 1a to 2b as well as teaching strategies and learning activities.

Benchmarking Practice
(2014)

Once you have completed the How To Benchmark Materials video, this list of reading materials is a great way to get more practice with the benchmarking tools and process.

Benchmarking Tools

ARB Quick Reference
(2014)

The ARB Quick Reference Guide provides a quick way to reference and compare the ARB descriptors as you evaluate a text. All of the information is easy to access in one place.

ARB Chart for Benchmarking Materials
(2014)

This chart provides a quick way to reference text to the Alberta Reading Benchmarks.

Tutor Training

Learning Module #1:

Module 1 is an introduction to the ARB and how tutors can use them with their learners.

Learning Module #2:

Module 2 gives tutors a fundamental grounding in the ARB descriptors which is necessary for learning in the other.

Learning Module #3:

Module 3 walks tutors through creating learning plans and selecting appropriate teaching strategies.

Learning Module #4:

Module 4 is a hands-on lesson for benchmarking resources so tutors can select materials that line up with a learner’s reading skills.

Research

Alberta Reading Benchmarks Pilot Project: Evaluation Report
Niks, Marina and Joy Page
(2013)

This report is an overview of the findings from an external evaluation on the ARB pilot.

Aboriginal Adult Reading Literacy Benchmarks Consultation
Kreiner, Monica
(2013)

This report provides a brief overview of a community consultation about benchmarks in Aboriginal literacy in Alberta.

Approaches to Benchmarks Frameworks for Adult Literacy Programming
Norton, Mary
(2010)

An examination and overview of literacy benchmarks frameworks across Canada and oversees.

Reading Benchmarks Support Resources Consultation
Pamela Crosby
(2011)

This report is a summary of the consultation done with Alberta literacy practitioners to inform the development of the Alberta Reading Benchmarks