Turning Pages: Building Literacy for Life
Submitted by Jenna Poncsak
Submitted by Jenna Poncsak
Literacy is about more than reading words on a page. For adults, literacy is about understanding, navigating, and taking action in everyday life. Every step a learner takes toward stronger literacy is also a step toward leadership in their own life.
When adults strengthen their literacy skills, the impact often extends beyond the individual learner. Every page an adult turns in building their literacy skills can also support family literacy, as adults model reading, writing, problem-solving, and persistence in everyday life.
Small Steps, Big Impact
Learning doesn’t happen all at once—it happens one page at a time. Each small step builds confidence and reinforces a powerful belief: I can do this. Turning pages in learning means recognizing progress, even when it feels slow or uneven. Every page turned strengthens not just literacy skills, but the learner’s ability to take charge of their life—becoming a leader in their own story.
Learning is most effective when broken into manageable, achievable steps. Reflection and practice help learners build skills that matter in real life—at work, at home, and in the community. Whether it’s decoding a word, understanding a workplace document, or writing a short note, each step forward turns the page toward deeper understanding and greater confidence.
Family Literacy Starts with Adults
Adult literacy doesn’t just benefit the learner—it can influence learning at home as well. Adults who strengthen their literacy skills are better equipped to support everyday family needs, such as:
- Read instructions, forms, or letters aloud for family members
- Share stories together and read for pleasure
- Write notes, lists, or emails with confidence
- Use print and digital tools to access information and services
These everyday actions help create a culture of literacy at home. When adults engage in their own learning, they demonstrate to children and other household members that learning is ongoing, achievable, and valuable at any stage of life.
Tips for Practitioners
Practitioners play an important role in helping learners turn the page in ways that feel safe, relevant, and achievable.
- Start with a conversation: Talk with learners about their goals, challenges, availability, and priorities.
- Offer an assessment: Identify strengths and areas for growth in the skills learners want or need to build.
- Provide flexible learning options: Support in-person learning, online learning, or a blended approach that fits learners’ lives.
- Make family connections visible when appropriate: Highlight how literacy skills can support family life—without creating pressure to “teach” others.
Practical Tools to Support Turning Pages
The Foundational Adult Learning Portal (FALP) can support learners as they begin, continue, or return to learning. It offers flexible, accessible, skill-based online learning tools that help learners move forward at their own pace—whether learning online independently, alongside a practitioner, or a blended approach.
Online learning options help reduce common barriers, such as transportation, childcare, or work schedules. They are also accessible to learners in rural areas or those who have had past negative learning experiences. By offering self-paced, flexible resources, FALP allows learners to build literacy skills in realistic, learner-centred ways.
Through FALP, literacy practitioners can support learners to:
- Complete assessments to identify strengths and areas for growth
- Use assessment results to guide learning goals and next steps
- Engage with learning modules that support foundational skill building
Start Today - Turn the Page
Modules can be used independently by learners or with practitioner support, online or in person, allowing flexibility to meet learners where they are and how they learn best. FALP works best as part of a broader learning pathway—supporting reflection, goal setting, and skill-building while complementing the important work practitioners already do.
Every adult learner can turn the page—whether learning in person, online, or through a blended approach—and move toward greater confidence, independence, leadership and opportunity. Literacy isn’t just about words on a page; it’s about turning pages toward new possibilities—for learners, their families, and their communities, one page at a time.