Reading Activities
A structured set of 60 lessons focused on developing learners’ ability to read and comprehend a wide range of texts.
Table of contents
What are Reading Activities?
The Reading Activities series is a structured set of 60 lessons focused on developing learners’ ability to read and comprehend a wide range of texts. These lessons build a bridge between reading fluency and real-world communication, with texts that are engaging, culturally relevant, and level-appropriate. Designed as flexible, standalone lessons, teachers can dip in and out of them as needed to support student reading development.
Target students
As general English lessons with a reading focus, the Reading Activities series is suitable for all students who need to improve their reading comprehension skills. Whether introducing reading strategies for beginners, consolidating skills at intermediate level, or challenging advanced learners with more complex texts, Reading Activities provide an adaptable resource for teachers.
The lessons are organized from Upper Beginner (CEFR A2, WIDA 2.0 Emerging) to Advanced (CEFR C1, WIDA 6.0 Reaching), ensuring coverage for learners at multiple proficiency levels.
Key features
All Reading Activities feature:
- Engaging texts: Carefully selected passages that are age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and designed to maintain learner interest.
- Step-by-step comprehension: Activities that check understanding of key details, main ideas, and inferences.
- Vocabulary development: Targeted practice with useful words and phrases that appear in context.
- Productive extension: Speaking and writing tasks that encourage learners to connect the text to their own experiences, supporting both fluency and critical thinking.
- Flexibility for teachers: Standalone format allows teachers to choose lessons that match their learners’ needs, interests, and levels.
Lesson details & links
The lesson name (with link) and objectives are listed below for a quick overview of each lesson. Click a lesson name to launch it directly from this article. To see a spreadsheet of all Off2Class lessons, click here.
| Lesson & Link | Objectives |
| R101 - Family-Routine | To read a text about a family’s routine and regular activities. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R102 - When-You-Come-To-Montreal | To read a text about tourism in Montreal. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R103 - Interview-With-Chef-Drolet | To read a text about a chef and his restaurant. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R104 - Five-Things-To-Do-In-Sydney | To read a text about things to do as a tourist in Sydney. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R105 - A-Day-In-The-Life-Of-A-Surf-Instructor | To read a text about the daily routine of a surf instructor. To talk about daily routines. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R106 - Where-Are-You-From | To read texts about people and where they come from. To talk about your nationality and country of origin. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R107 - Five-Healthy-Choices-For-Breakfast | To read a text about eating a healthy breakfast. To promote fluency and talk about health and food choices. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R108 - Places-To-See-In-Perth | To read a text about some sites in Perth, Australia. To promote fluency and talk about places in cities. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R109 - Pizza-Around-The-World | To read a text about various kinds of pizza eaten by different cultures. To promote fluency and talk about food. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R110 - Where-We-Live | To read a text about where different people live. To promote fluency and talking about the place where you live. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R111 - Five-Ways-To-Stay-Fit-And-Healthy | To read a text about staying healthy and in shape. To promote fluency and discuss health and lifestyle. The lesson include pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R112 - Colombia-Getting-There-And-Getting-Around | To read a text traveling to and around Colombia. To promote fluency and talking about transport. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R113 - Film-Review-La-La-Land | To read a film review and talk about films. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson include pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R114 - Giant Kite Festival | To read a text about a festival and talk about celebrations. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R115 - Interview-With-A-Video-Game-Designer | To read a text about a an unusual and interesting job. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R116 - Unusual-Hotels-Around-The-World | To read a text about the hotels and accommodations. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R117 - A-Weekend-In-Moscow | To read a text about a short vacation in Moscow. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R118 - Vacation-Plans | To read a text about planning a vacation, including accommodations and activities. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R119 - Air-Pollution-In-China | To read a text about air pollution in China and the environment. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R120 - In-My-Free-Time | To read a text about how people spend their free time. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R121 - Things-That-Annoy-Me | To read a text about things that annoy people. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R122 - Carole-The-Cartoonist | To read a text about an unusual and creative job. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R123 - Getting-A-Pet | To read a text about getting a pet. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R124 - My-Childhood | To read a text about childhood and what we used to do. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R201 - Valentines-Day | To read a text about the origins of Valentine’s Day. |
| R202 - The-Story-of-Google | To read a text about the early history of the US company, Google Inc. |
| R203 - American-Revolution | To read a text about the early history of the American Revolution (War of Independence). |
| R204 - WWI-Trench-Diary | To read a text about the diary of a British captain fighting in WWI. |
| R205 - Crime | To read a text about crime, including laws, law enforcement, punishment and the court process. |
| R206 - Letter-To-A-Friend | To read a text about a letter, from a man requesting his best friend to be his best man, at his wedding. The text and activities also deal with common vocabulary around wedding ceremonies. |
| R207 - History-of-Castles | To read a text about the history of castles in Europe. |
| R208 - Family-Values | To read a text about the concept of family values (e.g. mother and father, love for children, divorce, working parents). To practice the use of informal language. The lesson also includes several warm-up activities (prior to the reading text) and basic comprehension questions (after the reading text). |
| R301 - Easter-Island | To read a text about the mystery of Easter Island (where the people came from, and how they built/transported their statues). |
| R302 - Halloween | To read a text about the history of the holiday of Halloween and the current celebration in western countries (focusing on the United States). |
| R303 - Amphibians | To read a text about amphibians and their biology and habitats. |
| R304 - Impossible-Knife-Book-Review | To read a text about a book review of the book, ‘The Impossible Knife of Memory’ by Laurie Halse Anderson. |
| R305 - NASA-Finds-A-New-Earth | To read a text about NASA making a new, Earth-like planet discovery. |
| R306 - Carnival | To read a text about the festival of Carnival around the world (Caribbean, Brazil, Italy, Great Britain and France). |
| R307 - Then-And-Now | To read a text about an adults recounting of how society has changed since they were younger, focusing on the way food and the kitchen has changed. |
| R308 - History-of-Australia | To read a text about the history of Australia including pre-colonial history, European settlement and the war period. The lesson also includes several warm-up activities (prior to the reading text) and basic comprehension questions (after the reading text). |
| R309 - Organizing-a-Party | To read a text about organizing a 70th birthday party. The lesson also includes several warm-up activities (prior to the reading text) and basic comprehension questions (after the reading text). |
| R401 - Casa-di-Orlando-Restaurant-Review | To read a text about a restaurant review for an Italian Restaurant called Casa di Orlando. |
| R402 - Sommelier | To read a text about a sommelier, who works at a fine dining restaurant in Los Angeles. |
| R403 - Everyday-Hero | To read a text about an everyday hero, who rescued an old woman from a burning house. The lesson includes vocabulary around the theme of bravery. |
| R404 - Black-Death | To read a text about the Black Death (a major disease outbreak in Europe during the middle ages). The lesson includes vocabulary around disease, sicknesses and germs. |
| R405 - Settlers-of-Quebec | To read a text about the early settlers of Quebec (known as “New France” in those days). |
| R406 - Healthy-Way-of-Life | To read a text about a teenager that takes on a healthy way of life (exercise and healthy diet). This lesson also includes a comprehension question covering connecting phrases (e.g. “in any case”). |
| R407 - Holiday-in-France | To read a text about a letter from one friend to another describing a trip in southern France. The lesson also includes a comprehension question that covers strong adjective with intensifiers combinations and idioms. The lesson also includes a comprehension question that covers informal language. |
| R408 - Worried-Parents | To read a text about a letter from parents to a school principal, the parents are worried that there son is being bullied. |
| R409 - Plant-Medicines | To read a text about common medicines that come from natural sources such as plants and herbs. |
| R410 - Business-of-Philanthropy | To read a text about philanthropy (e.g. charities, donations) and the business aspects that surround the industry. The lesson also includes several warm-up activities (prior to the reading text) and basic comprehension questions (after the reading text). |
| R411 - Amnesia | To read a text about a woman who suffered a serious injury and experienced amnesia (lack of memory). To practice common adverb-adjective collocations and intensifiers the lesson also includes several warm-up activities (prior to the reading text) and basic comprehension questions (after the reading text). |
| R501 - A-Difficult-Decision | To read a text about a woman who decided not to get married at the last moment, and about if she regrets her decision. To practice language to express opinions about regrets and wishes. |
| R502 - Giving-Relationship-Advice | To read a text about a man who seeks advice from a friend regarding his romantic partner. To practice language around giving advice. |
| R503 - Embarrassing-Friends | To read a text which describes embarrassing behavior in public. To discuss how to deal with challenging or difficult behavior from friends or family members. |
| R504 - Rise-of-the-Superbug | To read a text about how increased antibiotic use is leading to more dangerous bacteria. To provide opportunities to present opinions on pharmaceuticals. |
| R506 - Stop-Buying-Things-You-Don’t-Need | To read a text about consumerism and consumption. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics |
| R507 - Rising-Youth-Suicide | To read a text about youth suicide and possible causes. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics |
| R508 - Changing-How-We-Eat | To read a text about meat production and its environmental impact. To promote fluency and giving opinions. The lesson includes pre-reading activities and post-reading discussion topics. |
| R509 - I-Just-Don't-Get-Sports | To read an opinion article about sports and reflect on its content. To practice using comment adverbs. |