by R.S. Coke

Created on: April 23, 2008   Last Updated: October 22, 2011

Improving literacy among adults

I teach remedial reading at a community college and the curriculum calls for a strong focus on vocabulary words. I strive for utilitarian use of the words because what is the use of knowing the meaning of a word but not knowing how to use the word?

I love to read and try to pass that infectious feeling on to my students. I give a book report assignment that gives them step-by-step instructions on the expectations of the assignment. Dates are set up through out the term so each part of the assignment is submitted in increments and they do not feel inundated with the assignment. The books on the list are discussed in detail so they students have a good understanding of their choices. I give them articles that incorporate words we have studied. I give them readings that use words that have multiple meanings and teach them how to utilize context clues to decipher the meaning of what they are reading. I challenge them to write down words they hear on television and utilize them in illustrative sentences. I share the joys of different stories, I ask about books they have read and I ask them about movies they have watched, challenging them to read a book that was turned into a movie.

Helping adults understand how powerful understanding words and literacy is to their world is pivotal to their increased literacy. Letting students see how they need to know how to read is important to their success and pushes their intrinsic need to learn.

Adult learners have so much to offer, but if they have been surviving with minimal literacy skills they may not be motivated to improve. Educate them on the fact that increased literacy only benefits them and improves their experience when they interact with the written word.

In my efforts to improve my students' literacy, I challenge them to use "words of the week" such as sagacious, sycophant, and precipice, in conversation as well as in and outside of class. I share with them how easy it is to learn words by watching television and reading articles in newspapers and on the Internet.

Increasing their literacy does not have to be all work and no play. Learning should be as enjoyable as possible, and while it is not possible to eradicate all memorization, it should not be a main focus of their learning experience. Utilizing vocabulary words in written sentences and conversation allows the words to make more of an indelible mark on the students, hence making the learning experience more memorable.

Literacy issues among adults can be traced to an inadequate education, a faulty education system, or a plethora of other reasons which is the scope of reality is irrelevant. It is our job to value the adult as a learner and address their literacy issues as our own, and teach them to read.

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