Substitute Lesson Ideas for Multilingual Learners Using Listenwise

Preparing for a substitute teacher can be challenging and time-consuming. With Listenwise, you can create engaging and meaningful lessons that are simple for any substitute teacher to implement.

To help support you, we’ve created a collection of substitute lesson ideas for multilingual learners designed to support your multilinguals’ language development and comprehension skills.

Each lesson includes a clear set of instructions for activities before, during, and after listening that can be easily modified to meet the needs of your students.  These activities will work best if students are already familiar with Listenwise and the routines described. 

Check out the options below to find ready-to-use lessons that will keep your students focused and productive while you are away!

Three Substitute Lesson Ideas for Multilingual Learners

1. Assign One of Listenwise’s ELD Lessons
   If students have access to devices individually or in small groups, one of the easiest ways to prepare for a substitute is to assign an ELD lesson from our library. ELD lessons include activities before, during, and after listening with extra scaffolds to support students at varied levels of English language proficiency.
   
   You can filter for appropriate lessons by checking the  ELD/ESL filter on the search page or browse the ELD lesson library. Print out the teacher’s guide for the substitute teacher and listening organizers for students.

Substitute Instructions:

• Follow the Teacher’s Guide provided.
  • Before listening: Pre-teach vocabulary and build background knowledge to prepare students for listening. 
  • During listening: Assist students as needed while they complete the assigned lesson on their own computers. 
  • After listening: Allow students time to respond to the comprehension questions individually or in groups.

Sample ELD lessons: 

• Picking Watercress and Other Family Stories (ELD)
• Phases of the Moon (ELD)
• Jackie Robinson and Integrating Baseball (ELD)

2.  Listen to Podcasts & Use a KWL Chart

A KWL chart, where students record what they know (K), wonder (W) and learned (L),  is a great tool for helping students engage with new topics.

In this activity, students listen to a Listenwise podcast as a class and complete the KWL chart together. The substitute teacher guides the class and facilitates conversation.

Substitute Instructions:

• Introduce the title of the podcast with students.
• On the board or a projected screen, show students a KWL chart with 3 columns – K (know), W (wonder), and L (learned). Distribute printed copies of blank KWL charts to students. 
• K section of the chart – Ask students what they know about the topic. Allow students to share their responses. Document their answers. Ask students to note at least one thing they know about the topic on their own charts. Students at lower ELP levels can be encouraged to draw or write in their native language. 
• W section of the chart – Ask students what they wonder about the topic. Allow students to share their responses. Document their answers. Ask students to write or draw at least one thing they wonder about the topic on their own charts. 
• Share the synopsis and play the podcast.
• Discuss the accompanying comprehension questions. Ask each question, give students a couple of minutes to talk with a partner about it, and then ask volunteers to share responses. 
• L section of the chart – After listening to the podcast, ask students what they learned about the topic. Learnings may or may not be linked to wonderings. Allow students to share their responses. Document their answers. Ask students to write or draw at least one thing they learned about the topic on their own charts.

Current Event: Why Hammerhead Sharks Hold Their Breath

Sample Current Event Podcasts:

• World Bee Day
• Paralympic Runner Shows Resilience
• Treasure Hunter Finds Gold Necklace Linked to Henry VII

3. Using a Podcast Transcript for Reading and Listening Comprehension

Another way to use Listenwise with multilinguals is to engage them in a reading and listening activity with the audio transcript. Audio support helps make reading more accessible for multilingual learners, and you can add your personal touches to the transcript to design the lesson you want.

This activity can be done either as a whole group or individually, depending on device availability.  Audio stories may be played 1-3 times, depending on time available, with students completing a packet prepared in advance by the teacher. 

Suggestions for teacher preparation of a reading and listening packet for a substitute to distribute to students: 

• Start the packet with a Vocabulary List organizer with target vocabulary words. You may use the provided vocabulary list (under Assignment Resources) and/or add your own words to the worksheet. Specify what tools students can use to search for word meanings, such as online or print dictionaries or the Texthelp toolbar on the Listenwise platform. 
• Either print the transcript directly as a PDF or download the transcript as a text file.
  
  
  
• You may choose to annotate key words and phrases or create a cloze exercise from the text file by eliminating key vocabulary words or phrases students should fill in as they listen.  If you create a cloze exercise, keep a copy of the full transcript to check answers. You can also create a chart with the text in the left column and a notes column on the right. (See below for examples.) 
• Include any graphic organizers that you find helpful for students, such as GIST, 3-2-1, or 5 Ws.
• Attach comprehension questions at the end. For open response questions, word banks or sentence starters are helpful scaffolds. 

Substitute Instructions

• Before listening: Building Background Knowledge
  Introduce the lesson topic.  Have students fill out the Vocabulary List organizer. They may draw, translate, or search for definitions and examples. Project on the board definitions for key vocabulary found under Assignment Resources or provide resources to look up words.
• During Listening: Providing Learning Supports
  • First Listen – Language: Ask students to put a check mark next to words on the Vocabulary List worksheet as they hear them.
  • Second Listen – Language & Content: Ask students to write in vocabulary words (if using fill-in-the-blank version), underline other keywords in the transcript, or write down notes and questions.
  • Third Listen – Content: Pause the audio every 30 seconds and ask students to write notes and/or fill out the corresponding graphic organizer as they listen. 

After Listening – Deepening Learning Across Language Domains
Content: Ask students to answer comprehension questions. Have students share and discuss their answers with a partner and then ask pairs to share with the group.

Sample Lessons & Handouts: 

• Karate Girl Mentors Others – Here’s a basic handout with the transcript and graphic organizers included. Here’s a sample student handout with further scaffolding.
• Very Bad Day Author Judith Viorst– Here’s a basic handout with the transcript and graphic organizers included.
• Decoding Dog DNA – Here’s a basic handout with the transcript and graphic organizers included.

We hope you found this list of substitute lesson ideas for multilingual learners help! Looking for more substitute lesson plan ideas? Check out “Three Substitute Lesson Ideas Using Podcasts.”