RSS FeedsWhat Research Says About Teaching Adults to Read
Research conducted by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy indicates that:5
- Low and beginning-level students need direct, systematic, and sequential instruction in phonemic awareness and word recognition skills, and
- Intermediate-level students, who comprise the largest percentage of adult students, have learned some word attack skills and know basic phonics, but they do not make strong use of those skills. They need to increase fluency, build vocabulary, and enhance background knowledge typically learned in middle school.
In addition, fluency and comprehension improve with repeated oral readings of familiar material. Instructors should not ask learners to read unpracticed material aloud. Instead, instructors should allow learners to practice, understand, and feel comfortable with what they are reading before asking them to face an audience.6
For a compendium of current information about how adults learn to read, review the publication Research-based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction, produced by the Partnership for Reading and written by John Kriudenier at http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/.
- Introduction
- Who are My Students
- Before You Start Teaching
- When You Start Teaching
- Some Instructional Do’s
- California Model Program Standards for Adult Basic Education
- What Research Says About Teaching Adults to Read
- Assessment and Accountability
- Implications for Adult Educators of the "SCANS" Report
- 10 Easy Things You Can Do to Integrate Workplace Basics (SCANS Competencies) Into Your Classroom
- General Strategies for Organizing and Managing an ABE Class
- Multilevel Class Management Models
- Appendix A: Resources for Adult Educators
- Appendix B: Words of Wisdom
- Appendix C: Personal Learning Plan
- Appendix D: S.T.E.P.S. Interview Guide
