Take any article or articles that are of interest to your student and simplify the
article, or part of the article, to your student's level.  You already know your
student is interested in the material so the object becomes to use words your
student already knows while mixing in new vocabulary.

Example:    This is a simplification of a New York Times article on the first
                    fight between Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971.  The
                    student was on a third-grade reading level.

Frazier fought Ali for the first time on March 9, 1971.  They fought in

New York City at Madison Square Garden.  Ali was trying to win back his

heavyweight championship.

The fight went the distance.  At the end of fifteen rounds all three judges

said Frazier had won the fight.  Frazier said before the fight, "kill the body and

the head will die," and he hit Ali hard for all fifteen rounds.  In fact, in the

fifteenth round he knocked Ali down with a left hook.  It was only the third

time Ali had been knocked down in a fight.

After the fight, Joe Frazier had a boxing record of 27-0 (23 KOs).  Ali had

lost for the first time.  His record was now 31-1 (25 KOs).  But Muhammad

Ali would fight Joe Frazier again.
 
 

    Literal comprehension questions for the student

        1.    When did Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fight for the first time?

        2.    Where did Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fight for the first time?

        3.    Who won the fight?

        4.    What was Ali's record after the fight?

        5.    What was Frazier's record after the fight?
 
 

Mark van Lummel
 

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