Adult Literacy Teacher Tips

A recent Rount Table Discussion at LIFT where staff and volunteer teachers exchanged classroom hints and tips yielded these nuggets for working with adult learners. Please feel free to post any additional suggestions you might have for the classroom on this blog as a comment.

• Bring a recent article from the newspaper for all to follow along as the teacher reads. This is a good way to show sentences and paragraphs. Reading Workshop classes can circle the letters they are studying in class even though they cannot read the article.
  
  
• Classes that are working daily with goals show greater retention. One class identified themselves as “The Go Getters!”.
  
  
• Class retention improves when students bond and call each other when absent. Consider passing around a sign up list for students to print their first name and phone number. Make copies and share.
  
  
• Welcome each student by name when they arive. Don't scold them if they are late or absent, but always praise them for attendance and being on time. As the old adage goes, you get more flies with sugar than with vinegar.
  
  
• Soon LIFT will have worksheets and suggestions on how to work with students to learn how to tell time. It was suggested that you start with a digital clock.
  
  
• When dealing with page numbers, write the page number on the board and repeat the number, while pointing to the digits, i.e. "fifty four, five four".

• Practice alphabetizing by having the students alphabetize the spelling words assigned for each lesson

• When new words are introduced in the Texas Scottish Rite curriculum, identify these words by their parts of speech. After some practice, when new words are introduced, challenge the students to identify the parts of speech for the new words.

• Suggested websites:
  Freerice.org - for vocabulary words
  starfall.com
  aaaSpell.com - for spelling and vocabulary lists
  Math.com
  aaaMath.com - basic math skills grouped by grade level
  jigzone.com - for jigsaw puzzles, which help show logic and reasoning.

Did you know that LIFT computers allow students to record while they read? You can also record your reading, and then let the students record their reading as they practice fluency and fluidity. Details are in your Teacher Notebook.