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WIDA understands the challenges educators are facing in teaching literacy, especially as they navigate diverse student needs and follow various research-driven and legislated approaches...

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HomeResourcesBringing Radio Stories into the Classroom

Bringing Radio Stories into the Classroom


Listenwise builds listening comprehension across the curriculum. Listenwise is a website that offers teachers free access to curated NPR public radio stories and podcasts. It features an audio library offering thousands of curated NPR stories that are aligned to curriculum topics and state standards. Listenwise provides access to high-quality academic language, channeled through engaging content, which is invaluable for all students, especially English language learners.

Designed to inspire thought-provoking discussions, each lesson presents high-quality news reporting about important and timely topics that matter. Flexible design supports a wide range of settings and can be used whether a classroom is blended, flipped, or 1:1. Additional resources make academic language from the stories accessible, without reducing rigor for ELs and struggling readers. These engaging lessons integrate listening skills practice with content aligned across the curriculum for grades 5–12.

Listenwise can be used to assess and grow listening comprehension to prepare for the CAASPP. Unique assessments are embedded with the curriculum collections for easy integration into instruction. Using a research-based approach to identify the key areas of listening comprehension, their assessments test eight listening sub-skills.

Teachers can use Listenwise across a broad range of learners, settings, and subjects, and it is adaptive. The materials are accessible, can be adapted for many types of learners, and are effective for advancing intermediate and advanced English learners toward college- and career-readiness standards. Teachers are seeing that students gain vocabulary through context after multiple listens and are particularly interested in stories that are culturally relevant. Learn more about how teachers are using Listenwise, sign up for a free Listenwise account, or try a free trial of Listenwise Premium at www.listenwise.com. Premium is the full-school solution that allows teachers to create custom online assignments and includes interactive transcripts, slower versions of the audio, and tiered vocabulary.

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