Literacy for Life Workshops
Scroll down to see all workshop descriptions & presenter biographies. Registration will include your first and second workshop choices.
Beyond the Book: Engaging Student Activities to Supplement Textbook Lessons
Presenters: Jeannette Fox & Megan McAllister, Literacy NJ Atlantic Cape
Audience: ESL Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
Often, vocabulary and grammar instruction can feel dry, boring, or confusing for ESL students, so incorporating engaging activities into lessons is an effective way to review and reinforce your lessons. This workshop will offer suggestions to extend textbook lessons with real life activities to bring the curriculum to life. Some suggestions include immersive crafting or cooking activities to review “ing” verbs or having students create human maps to review prepositions of place. Learn how to modify these examples for every ESL level, beginner to advanced.
Planning and Executing Online ESL Conversation Classes
Presenters: Caroline Lamberti, Literacy NJ Sussex & Helen Fairbrother, Literacy NJ Monmouth
Audience: ESL Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
In this workshop, we will explore how to plan and manage ESL conversation classes, so students can gain the most from the experience. We will review how to structure classes, facilitate techniques, and manage different proficiency levels while maintaining high engagement and meaningful conversation. During the session, we will demonstrate how we use conversation materials based on a guided class outline. You will learn techniques for designing and organizing ESL conversation lessons, and you will apply these techniques by developing partial lessons during the session, based on sample materials for beginner and intermediate/advanced levels. You will leave this workshop with a clear, practical framework you can immediately apply to an online ESL conversation class or integrate portions into your regular classes.
Using the News to Provide Engaging Evidence-Based Reading Instruction
Presenter: Greg Stultz, ProLiteracy New Readers Press
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
What do dedicated educators, a captivating news article, an evidence-based reading instruction lesson template, and effective strategies and classroom activities have in common? They can all be found in this session! Come as your favorite sponge and be ready to soak up some fresh ideas!
In this workshop, we will define evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI) and its four key components. We will apply a proven lesson template to a news article and share numerous ideas for teaching strategies and classroom activities including phonics, vocabulary, active reading, comprehension, writing, and discussion. You will leave with a lesson template you can use to create lesson plans, a free issue of the News for You newspaper (with Teacher’s Guide), and a free two-week trial of News for You Online!
Building Skills That Stick: Practical Test-Taking Strategies and Engaging Activities for GED Students
Presenter: Michelle Obermeier, Mercer Street Friends Adult Education Program
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
This workshop explores practical test-taking strategies and engaging activities to improve learner performance and persistence. Rather than relying solely on textbooks and worksheets, this session emphasizes learning-by-doing approaches that help learners better understand test formats, apply key skills, and stay motivated through challenges.
Tutors will explore adaptable activities such as games, guided practice, and collaborative problem-solving that reinforce core concepts while building familiarity with test language and expectations. We will highlight strategies that are particularly effective with ESL learners, including breaking down complex prompts, modeling how to approach questions, using visuals and discussion to support comprehension, and practicing skills in low-stakes, supportive ways.
Throughout the session, we will focus on how intentional tutor responses—clear modeling, encouragement, and celebrating small gains—can strengthen learner confidence and persistence over time. Participants will leave with concrete strategies and ready-to-use activities that promote both stronger test performance and sustained engagement, helping adult learners continue moving forward even when progress feels uneven.
Clear Speech for Everyday Communication
Presenter: Shirley Shields, Atlantic Cape Community College (retired)
Audience: ESL Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
Although speaking may be the most difficult language skill to master, it is possible to create clear speech using some pronunciation rules coupled with regular practice. For many students, clear speech is a priority for everyday communication at school, work, and in the community. This workshop will include some basic techniques for instructors to use along with methods that can improve learner speech, regardless of accent, to result in better communication. Attendees will be provided with hands-on strategies to improve student pronunciation.
Soft Skills for Educators
Presenter: Ray Agliata, Mercer County Community College
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers, Staff/Program Administrators/Board Members
This session will focus on practical soft skills that adult educators of any level of experience can use to manage common classroom challenges more effectively. The presentation will explore real-world situations such as disengaged learners, classroom conflict, cultural and learning-style differences, and resistance to instruction.
The session will highlight communication-based strategies that help create a more positive and productive learning environment. These modern-day soft skills allow educators to navigate complex classroom dynamics, foster collaboration with colleagues, and communicate more effectively with adult learners. Through an introductory presentation including relatable examples, followed by guided reflection, participants will learn how soft skills such as empathy, active listening, conflict resolution, adaptability, flexibility, and problem-solving can be applied in adult education classrooms.
Designed as an interactive session, the goal is for participants to leave with simple, actionable tools they can use right away to improve learner engagement, classroom climate, and instructional confidence.
Know Your Rights
Presenter: Caty Dominguez, The Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund
General Audience
The “Know Your Rights” presentation discusses the constitutional rights of individuals regardless of immigration status, and how to protect yourself during an encounter with ICE.
Using Short Films to Strengthen Students’ Voices
Presenter: Tamar Samuel-Siegel, Literacy NJ West Hudson
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers, Staff/Program Administrators/Board Members
Regardless of their current language and literacy levels, our students want and deserve to feel seen and heard, to develop not only functional communication skills, but an expressive voice, capable of conveying nuance, personality, creativity, and intellect. Explore the mechanics of lesson plans based on short (and super-short!) films, and see how they can be used to tap into students’ existing capacity, while expanding their vocabulary, discussion & writing skills, and peer-to-peer connection. We’ll look at both beginner (ESL 2-3) and advanced (ESL 4-6/Basic Literacy) short-film-based lessons.You’ll leave the workshop with model slide decks and lesson plans, short film recommendations to get you started, and helpful criteria for selecting films and materials as you build your film lesson repertoire.
Meeting the Needs of Mixed-Level ESOL Classes
Presenter: William Linn, Literacy Assistance Center
Audience: ESL Tutors, Teachers & Trainers, Staff/Program Administrators/Board Members
Teachers often find out that their “beginner” or “intermediate” ESOL classes contain learners whose skill levels are widely disparate. Some speak well but have minimal writing skills. Others are good readers but have trouble with oral English. Still others, while falling in the designated class level, are much lower or higher in all skills than most of the group. In this session, participants will learn strategies for multi-leveling any activity, have hands-on practice applying these strategies, and get a resource bank with activities that have been adapted for mixed-level ESOL classes.
Teaching Writing with Confidence
Presenter: Laren Erickson, Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley, Bergen Community College
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
This ESL-friendly workshop will show you exactly how to begin to teach your students to write. We will start with constructing meaningful sentences and forming coherent paragraphs that respond to real-life situations and questions. Learn the five simple steps of conducting a writing activity, and follow along step by step through two sample writing lessons. You CAN teach writing. This workshop will help you create writing lessons with confidence.
Strategies for Supporting Reading Comprehension
Presenter: Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
In this workshop, we begin by discussing several key aspects of reading comprehension and spotlighting areas where students may be experiencing some difficulties. We will then examine several hands-on examples working with different types of texts (fiction, non-fiction, poetry). Finally, we will look at a resource that includes a number of comprehension teaching strategies and participants will identify ones that may be a good fit for their classroom or tutoring sessions.
ChatGPT for Real-World Adult Literacy: Work, Life, and Learning Workflows
Presenter: Yukima Hughes, Literacy NJ Board Member; Beyond the Classroom Consulting, LLC, Literacy and Curriculum Leader, Certified AI Educator and AI Automation Strategist
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers, Staff/Program Administrators/Board Members
This workshop introduces ChatGPT as a practical thought partner for adult literacy practitioners. Participants will learn how to personalize ChatGPT to support instruction, including how to make lesson planning simpler by streamlining the process. We will explore using AI to adjust reading levels, create real-world reading tasks, and develop learner-friendly worksheets tied to learner goals. We will also cover safety guardrails, privacy practices, and responsible use of AI to support adult learners with dignity and accuracy. Participants will leave with ready-to-use prompts and a clear plan for implementing the strategies on their own. While ChatGPT is our main tool, participants will also get a brief resource list of other AI platforms to explore independently. The presenter will share a digital prompt pack and resource toolkit after the workshop. Please bring a laptop or tablet to this session.
Integrating Workforce Preparation Skills to Achieve Student Success
Presenter: Loretta Lininger, Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at Penn State University
Audience: Basic Literacy Tutors, Teachers & Trainers; Staff/Program Administrators/Board Members
This interactive session will explore embedding Workforce Preparation Skills, currently in use in Pennsylvania, into everyday instruction to strengthen student outcomes and support career pathways. Participants will examine why these skills are essential in today’s evolving job market and how they connect to workplace expectations across industries. Attendees will review practical strategies for integrating digital literacy and transferable skills by using simple classroom routines that can be applied across content areas. Participants will also learn how to identify workforce preparation skills already embedded in their lessons and how to make those skills more visible and intentional for adult learners. Participants will leave with practical, proven, classroom-ready tools and resources to help learners set occupational goals, recognize skills needed for their chosen pathways, and build measurable progress toward career success.
Office of New Americans Overview: Supporting New Jersey’s Immigrant Communities
Presenter: Patrick Barry, NJ Department of Human Services Office of New Americans
General Audience
This session provides an overview of the Office of New Americans (ONA) and practical strategies for engaging immigrant and refugee communities across New Jersey. With more than two million immigrants in the state, many individuals face language barriers, cultural differences, immigration related concerns, and digital access challenges when navigating public systems and services.
Participants will learn about ONA’s core programs and initiatives, including refugee resettlement, publicly funded legal services, language access, and community resources. The session will also highlight actionable approaches to outreach and culturally responsive engagement.
Attendees will leave with clear, practical strategies to strengthen communication, expand access to services, and better support immigrant communities.
Informal Assessment: Creative Ways to Check for Understanding
Presenter: Linda McAllister, Literacy New Jersey Atlantic Cape
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
While formal assessments provide a measure of student progress over time, more frequent check-ins will give tutors information along the way that can help them better gauge and support their students’ learning. In this hands-on session, educators will explore innovative technology and creative activities that will transform informal assessment into an engaging, interactive experience. We will explore classroom games, no-cost EdTech tools, and visual literacy to elevate assessment practices, boost student engagement, and create a lively class environment. You will leave this workshop with an expanded repertoire of informal assessment tools that will foster both fun and learning.
Activities and Strategies for Low-Literacy ESOL Learners
Presenter: William Linn, Literacy Assistance Center
Audience: ESL Tutors, Teachers & Trainers with Low-Literacy ESL students, Staff/Program Administrators/Board Members
For a variety of reasons, many learners come to our ESOL classes with little to no print literacy – even in their first language. How can we help someone develop the basics of literacy while they learn a second language? What should we start with? How is their learning process different from that of a literate learner? This session will present a “meaning-first” approach to teaching low-literacy ESOL: Participants will walk through a lesson, try out a number of activities, and reflect on the experience to discover guiding principles and key strategies for teaching ESOL literacy. A bank of teaching materials will also be shared.
Strategies to Increase Student Participation in the Remote ESL Classroom
Presenter: Helen Fitzgerald, Keystone Opportunity Center, Souderton PA
Audience: ESL Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
This presentation will explore effective strategies for online learning to enhance student engagement and participation and to improve student outcomes. We will focus on techniques such as interactive activities, collaborative tasks, timely feedback, and diverse instructional routines to cater to different learning styles and promote building a vibrant virtual classroom community. These strategies can also be adapted and implemented in the in-person ESL classroom. We will also address the challenges of maintaining student focus and participation in remote learning settings, and strategize how to overcome these challenges.
Tips & Tricks for Teaching Grammar Skills
Presenter: Dr. Barbara Trueger, Rutgers University
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
Who said teaching grammar has to be boring? This interactive workshop will expand your skillset for teaching foundational grammar skills that will help your students achieve their ultimate literacy goals. We will work together to develop fun and innovative strategies to incorporate grammar into your regular lessons. You don’t need to be an English teacher to teach grammar. We will go back to the basics and create engaging activities that build your learners’ trust and confidence. Your students will be the ULTIMATE winners!
Generative AI for Curriculum and Lesson Planning
Presenter: Dr. David J. Rosen, Newsome Associates
Audience: Tutors, Teachers & Trainers
In this session, Dr. David J Rosen will guide you through the basics of generative AI tools. The session is packed with practical tips and demonstrations of free tools you can use to quickly create customized lesson plans and curriculum for your adult learners.
You’ll learn about some of the current opportunities, challenges, and concerns with using GenAI and see a real-time demonstration of using GenAI to create a curriculum tailored to specific adult learners, including creating lesson plans for learners with specific needs or at specific levels. Through viewing and discussing this demonstration, you’ll see what you might experience yourself using GenAI for curriculum development and how it might be helpful in lesson planning.
During the session, individuals or partners will select a GenAI tool to explore, and you will create materials customized to your adult learners’ needs. We will then briefly discuss the opportunities and challenges you found in creating the materials. Please bring a laptop or tablet to this session.
Student Panel: Challenges and Triumphs for New Americans
Facilitator: Maria Paduano, Literacy NJ
Panelists: TBA
General Audience
A panel of students will share their experience as immigrants in the U.S., including what challenges they have faced and what surprises they have encountered. They will share what they like most about living here and what they miss most about their home countries. Come hear students’ stories and learn directly from them what it is like to be a New American.
Advocating for Adult Education
Presenters: Jessica Tomkins, Literacy NJ / NJALL, Erik Jacobson, Montclair State University / NJALL
General Audience
Changes in federal priorities have created uncertainty about the future of adult education in NJ. It’s now more important than ever that we work together to advocate for our state to invest in a robust adult education system. NJALL (NJ Association for Lifelong Learning) is organizing a campaign to demonstrate the impact of our programs to our elected officials. Many adult literacy practitioners gave us valuable insight during last December’s Meeting the Moment Convening. This session will continue those conversations and give us a chance to hear from new voices. Please join us to review our plan and share your input!
Ray Agliata
Ray Agliata is excited to return to the Literacy for Life Workshop in 2026 after successfully presenting here last year. His second book, Skillful Living Now: Lead Human—Leadership in an AI World, will be published, and he looks forward to sharing its core ideas on emotional intelligence, communication, and human-centered leadership. As an educator, author, and member of the Mercer County Workforce Development Board, Ray is passionate about practical, real-world strategies that strengthen soft skills and workforce readiness. He is honored to join this event again and contribute to the ongoing work of building literacy, leadership, and opportunity in our communities.
Patrick Barry
Patrick Barry is the Partnerships Coordinator for the Office of New Americans, New Jersey Department of Human Services. In this role, he supports office-wide outreach efforts, engaging stakeholders, the public, and potential clients to promote ONA programs and initiatives. Patrick earned a Masters of Public Administration with a specialization in International Service and Program Development from Rutgers University.
Caty Dominguez
Caty Dominguez, Community Engagement Coordinator at LALDEF, is a Trenton native and descendant of Mexican parents. While at LALDEF, Caty hopes to continue bringing resources to her community by facilitating access to healthcare services, education, legal representation, and more.
Laren Erickson
Laren Erickson got her start teaching ESL online to children in China in 2019. Having finally found a job she loved, she went on to volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of Pascack Valley, get a TEFL certification, teach ESL at Bergen Community College, and do a year with Americorps through Literacy NJ. She’s still loving it and is always trying to learn how to be a better teacher.
Helen Fairbrother
Helen Fairbrother decided to start tutoring when she retired from her 35-year Systems Engineering career at AT&T Labs. She trained to be a tutor with Literacy NJ Monmouth in late 2019. Initially, she worked with Adult Basic Education (ABE) students. She became a co-tutor of a Zoom ESL Conversation Class in 2022. Last year, while participating in the Literacy NJ AmeriCorps program, she co-authored a workshop for ESL Conversation tutors.
Helen Fitzgerald
Helen Fitzgerald is the Adult Education In-House Professional Development Specialist, Digital Literacy Specialist, and ESL Instructor at Keystone Opportunity Center in PA. She has 35+ years of experience in TESOL. Helen worked at Temple University’s Intensive English Language Program, University of Philadelphia in Jordan, and at various educational institutions at various language levels with diverse adult learners. She holds an M.Ed. TESOL from the University of Leeds, UK, and a BA in English Language and Literature and French. Helen is passionate about PD in TESOL and supporting instructors with assessing and developing their students’ language and digital skills.
Jeannette Fox
Jeannette Fox is a retired Health Information Technology professional with a passion to help non-native English speakers in their quest is to learn English so they can build a successful life and become an integral part of the American society. She teaches an evening adult ESL class so it’s imperative that her lessons are creative and fun, yet challenging and relevant to meet her students’ needs.
Yukima Hughes
Yukima Hughes is a board member of Literacy New Jersey and an AI Educator certified in AI Prompt Engineering through NJIT. She serves as a Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction and brings deep experience in literacy, adult learning, and instructional coaching. She equips busy individuals and teams with practical AI tools to automate repeated workflows, communicate with impact, and make faster, safe decisions. Through Beyond the Classroom Consulting, LLC, she partners with schools and community organizations to connect literacy development with accessible AI practices that help adults thrive at work and in life.
Erik Jacobson
Erik Jacobson is a Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Montclair State University. Over his career in adult education, he has a taught a variety of courses, including ESOL, family literacy, citizenship and workplace literacy. He is currently President Elect of the New Jersey Association for Lifelong Learning (NJALL) and organizes the Critical Teaching and Learning Forum. He enjoys talking about reading comprehension because that is the whole point of reading, isn’t it?
Caroline Lamberti
Caroline Lamberti, a first-generation American, was shaped by her parents’ experiences and learned early that English proficiency is key to opportunity and the American Dream. This insight led her to volunteer as an ESL tutor, and in 2023 she joined Literacy NJ. In 2024, she became a Literacy NJ AmeriCorps member while continuing to serve additional volunteer hours. Prior to joining Literacy NJ, Caroline earned a degree in Mathematical Physics from St. John’s University and worked as an Advisory Systems Engineer at IBM. She later stepped away from her career to raise her four children with her husband, Bill.
Loretta Lininger
Loretta Lininger is a Workforce Development Specialist at Penn State’s Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, where she designs and delivers customized professional development for Title II adult education providers across Pennsylvania. Her work focuses on workforce preparation skills, career pathways, and strengthening cross-agency collaboration to better support adult learners. Loretta also serves on committees of the Pennsylvania State Workforce Development Board and supports apprenticeship expansion as a Registered Apprenticeship Navigator, helping strengthen connections between education, training, and employer needs.
William Linn
William Linn is the ESOL Specialist and Coordinator of ESOL Certificate Programs at the Literacy Assistance Center. He leads ESOL professional development and curriculum design projects, and he has co-facilitated the LAC’s Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults (TESLA) course and the Teaching English to Adults with Limited Literacy (TEALL) course among others. William has also taught English Applied Linguistics at the SIT Graduate Institute where he received his MA in TESOL in 2011. He started teaching ESOL at community-based organizations in 2008 and became a licensed ESOL teacher educator in 2015.
Linda McAllister
As the Program Coordinator for Literacy NJ Atlantic Cape, Linda McAllister provides training, support, and resources for tutors and students in our literacy programs. She is a career educator, teaching high school English for over a decade, serving as the Writing Specialist in the Academic Resource Center at Gwynedd Mercy College, and most recently, teaching Composition at Atlantic Cape Community College. Her approach is student-centered, and she favors a constructivist approach to learning with a focus on building relationships.
Megan McAllister
Megan McAllister is a former first grade teacher and now works as a Literacy Specialist with Literacy NJ. Most recently, she’s been teaching beginner and intermediate ESL students in Atlantic City. She brings classroom experience and a hands-on approach, helping learners gain confidence and independence in reading and writing.
Michelle Obermeier
Michelle Obermeier began teaching in underserved K-12 schools in Brooklyn and Queens NY many moons ago. After over 6 years of teaching in an elementary setting, she took time to raise her children until returning to education with a focus on adult literacy. She has been in adult education for almost a decade and can not imagine doing anything else.
Maria Paduano
Maria Paduano is the AmeriCorps Program Director for Literacy New Jersey, overseeing statewide AmeriCorps programming and member support. She previously served as Program Coordinator for Literacy NJ’s Atlantic-Cape and Ocean County programs, supporting ESL and adult basic education services and volunteer tutors across the region.
Dr. David J. Rosen
Dr. David J. Rosen is President of Newsome Associates, a consulting firm in Boston, Massachusetts. He’s the author of the 2023 blog article, “ChatGPT for Adult Foundational Education Teachers and Tutors,” co-author with Destiny Simpson and Jen Vanek of “Guide for Design and Implementation of Hybrid–Flexible (HyFlex) Models in Adult Education,” and co-author of two online guides on blended learning, “Blended Learning for the Adult Education Classroom” and “The What, Why Who and How of Blended Learning for Adult Basic Skills Learners.” He can be reached at djrosen123@gmail.com.
Tamar Samuel-Siegel
Tamar is a poet and artist who has spent her career in public service through education and the arts, striving to bring the two together. Her teaching philosophy is based on increasing student thriving; as such, supporting meaningful, content-rich, and authentic self-expression guides her lesson and program planning. As Program Coordinator for Literacy New Jersey West Hudson, she has supported the establishment of book clubs, film clubs, a student zine, and a student podcasting project.
Shirley Shields
Shirley Shields was on the faculty at Atlantic Cape Community College teaching in both the English and ESL departments until her retirement in 2022.
Greg Stultz
Since 2008, Greg Stultz has served as an educational sales consultant and product trainer for New Readers Press, the publishing division of ProLiteracy. Greg’s prior work experience in adult education includes eight years in Japan as a teacher-trainer and ELL instructor.
Jessica Tomkins
Jessica Tomkins is the Chief Operating Officer of Literacy NJ. Jessica has worked in a variety of roles in adult literacy education since becoming a volunteer tutor in 1997. She currently serves as president of the NJ Association for Lifelong Learning. Jessica earned her bachelor of arts from The Evergreen State College and an M.Ed in Adult and Continuing Education from Rutgers University.
Dr. Barbara Trueger
Dr. Barbara Trueger’s teaching has encompassed pre-kindergarten through graduate school; profoundly challenged to gifted & talented; and disenfranchised to upper socio-economic communities. She has presented at numerous conferences and workshops, as well as being a keynote speaker at universities. Barbara has extensive international teaching experiences. She taught in rural South Africa, also providing staff development and parent workshops. This evolved into conducting her doctoral research. For years, Barbara taught original STEM curricula in China. Now retired, Barbara supervises student teachers for Rutgers University Graduate School of Education. Additionally, she conducts workshops to enhance tutors’ skillsets. Furthermore, Barbara serves as President of the Rutgers University Graduate School of Education Alumni Association.