Elements of a Strong Adult Literacy Program

Rebecca Still, Community Learning Network

0 2 September 2024

As CALP providers, one of our main roles is to support adult literacy learners. Adult literacy learners in CALP are adults who are generally born in Canada and need to improve their reading and/or writing skills (CALP Policy Manual p. 10-11). Strong adult literacy programs have a number of elements that make them successful in meeting the literary needs of their community. The following elements are based on my knowledge, experience and observations of what makes a strong adult literacy program.

Finding and Attracting Learners
Strong adult literacy programs are well connected to their community and understand the needs of adults in their community.

Mapping your community is one way to develop strong connections. Stepping into Community helps us step beyond our knowledge of our community to gain a bigger, more complex picture of the community through a different lens. Below are some questions to help you get started in mapping your own community.
- What is the role of your CALP in your community?
- Why does adult literacy/foundational learning matter in your community?
- How do you connect to your community?
- How do these connections support your CALP?
- How do you support them?
- What connections in your community have been valuable to you? Why?
Promotion is a natural extension of mapping your community. As you learn more about your community you can frame your messaging around identified issues. Research has shown that understanding the evolving needs of your community can help you attract adult literacy learners.
Gathering to Learn states that personal connections, getting the word out and ease of access are common themes for finding participants. This can often mean going where the potential learners are. As Gathering to Learn states, its "being IN [the] community and being VISIBLE."

Connecting to Life
We all seek out learning when we are motivated to make changes in our life. Adult literacy learners come to CALP looking for learning that supports those changes in life. In the Building Literacy: A Learner-Centred Guide for Teachers, Tutors and Practitioners of Adult Literacy e-learning, Allan Quigley shares the following "Working Formula for Motivational Teaching."

Strong adult literacy programs focus on the following adult learning principles to build on the external motivators adult literacy learners bring to learning.

Builds on prior experience - As adults, we have a wealth of lived experiences that we bring to whatever we do. When we build on the knowledge that adult literacy learners bring, we can create a positive learning experience. This builds confidence and motivation in learners to stay engaged in the learning.
Relevant and meets learner’s goals - We know what is important to us and we tend to ignore or dismiss what is unimportant. Understanding what is relevant in an adult literacy learner’s life will guide you in what resources to use and what to focus on to meet their goals. This is done by focusing on connecting the learning to learners actual lives and using resources and materials that relate to their personal life or work.
Self directed - As adults we want to determine how and what we will learn. Involving learners in creating a learning plan based on their goals and letting them determine what materials to use from their life gives them the power to make choices in their own learning.

Learning Environment
The learning environment can affect whether a learner returns or not. Strong adult literacy programs pay attention to not only their actual space but also to how they connect and build relationships with learners. Developing trust and respect can lead to an enriching experience for both learners and practitioners. Here are some ideas for creating a positive learning environment.

Safe & welcoming space - Your physical space is important and should reflect learners who come to your programs. It should be inviting and encourage people to want to linger in the space. Another key factor is the way you interact with anyone who walks through the door and determines if they will come back. The e-learning Learner Support Services has a great video on How to Create a Positive Learning Environment where CALP practitioners share their practices for creating environments that help learners feel valued and supported in learning.

Trauma informed – As we become more aware of the nature of trauma, we are coming to understand that many people coming through our program doors are affected by it: learners, co-workers, ourselves and community partners alike. For learners, the effects of trauma can make it difficult to focus, be present and to learn. Growing our understanding of trauma informed practices can make a difference. The Creating Safer Spaces: Indigenous Learning in the CALP Model e-learning has some great ideas to support learners experiencing past trauma. Jenny Horsman has spent many years discovering the ways to reduce the negative impact of violence and trauma. Check out her websites https://jennyhorsman.com/ and https://learningandviolence.net/ for resources, videos and so much more.

Understanding of Reading & Writing Skill Development
Over the years, research has learned there are specific processes for learning to read and write. When they are taught explicitly, adults improve their reading and writing skills.

Strong adult literacy programs use a variety of proven skills to increase learners reading and writing skills.

Research and studies on how we learn to read indicate we need to explicitly teach phonemic awareness, word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. To become a successful reader, we need to develop skills in all five of these components of reading. They all work together and are often developed simultaneously and not sequentially. To learn more about each of the five components check out Rising to the Reading Challenges of Adult Learners: Practitioner’s Toolkit. For examples of instructional strategies that can be used to support the development of reading, check out Teaching Reading: Strategies and Resources on the CALP Portal. The Instructional Strategies for Reading e-learning has some strategies and ideas as well, such as looking at the basic components of reading.

Writing goes hand in hand with learning to read. They are two sides of the same coin. Reading enables us to be engaged by the words, thoughts and direction of others. It is a way to gain access to the world around us. Writing allows us to express our thoughts, opinions and personalities. It is a way to share our voice in the world. It can be an empowering experience for learners when they share their voice. There are two e-learnings on the CALP Portal that provide direction on teaching writing. Instructional Strategies for Writing emphasizes learners thought and ideas rather than the mechanics of writing and the Never-Fail Writing Method helps learners improve their writing by focusing only on their successes, and ignoring all errors.

A good strategy that builds both reading and writing skills at the same time is the Language Experience Approach.

Training
There are a number of training opportunities that will support you in developing strong adult literacy programs.

Planning for Learning series - Guided by Knowles’ five assumptions of adult learners: Adult learner experience, Self-concept, Readiness to learn, Orientation to learning, Motivation to learn we will explore a collection of voices, resources, perspectives, and strategies intended to strengthen your organization’s design and delivery of learning opportunities.
Mentoring with Rebecca Still- Build your confidence in working with adult literacy learners and expand your knowledge and expertise in creating literacy programming for adults.
Teaching Reading workshop - Learn how to know what learners need to work on, and what comes next once they have learned it, along with how to use the Alberta Reading Benchmarks as a guide in planning for learning. Contact Rebecca Still (literacy@calp.ca) to request a workshop in your area.

We’ve explored a number of elements that contribute to strong adult literacy programs, but this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. What elements are you using that have supported you in developing a strong adult literacy program?