Foundational Learners

A foundational learner is an adult who wants to build basic skills to help in everyday life. Community Adult Learning Programs supports adults who are working on skills such as reading, writing, numeracy, basic digital skills and English Language Learning.

Some learners will arrive at a CALP with a clear sense of what they need, how they learn best, and why. Others may struggle to identify a skills gap or learning need on their own. As practitioners listen, they begin to understand how the CALP can support each learner's journey. Conversations often reveal needs that a learner cannot express on a form or in response to a direct question.

Adult foundational learners often do not see themselves as learners. As practitioners work with learners to develop a plan that meets their goals, supporting a positive learner identity is just as important as addressing skill gaps.

Learners benefit from messages like:

You can learn
Your life experiences are part of your learning journey
You have strengths and talents
You can dream for the future
You can be successful

For adult foundational learners, lived experience is a strength. It includes everything a person has navigated: raising children, working, managing a household, overcoming hardship, adapting to change, and more. This knowledge is real and valuable, even when a learner doesn't recognize it as such.

Lived experience provides the foundation new learning builds on, helps practitioners understand what a learner has already figured out, and serves as a reminder that every person who walks through the door already knows things.

Recognizing lived experience is part of a strengths-based approach. When practitioners acknowledge what a learner has already lived through and learned, it supports a positive learner identity and builds the confidence needed to keep going.

Scaffolding is temporary, adjustable support that instructors provide by building on learners' existing knowledge and experience. As learners become more confident and independent, the support is gradually removed.