teaching an adult to read and writew

[dumber]

how would i go about teaching an adult to read and write english? would it be best to start with alphabet books and other stuff that you use to learn kids the same?

[rowanwitch]

There are books available for teaching adults but once you have the basics like the letter sounds and the combinations and silent letters sorted...a simple newspaper like the Sun works well....ps you do not learn kids...you teach them...they learn.... sorry had a Markrae moment there

[wolf63]

I would get the kids books - there is a natural progression to those that should help teach somebody how to read and write the language.

There may be help available locally, especially if you are in an area with a lot of people who need to learn English as a second language. Maybe ask at a local college or CAB.

[saxy_jag]

Are you talking about teaching a non-native speaker, or someone who speaks English but can't read/write it? You're starting from a different place with each, because the latter can use their knowledge of the spoken language to inform what they see on the page. The ESOL learner will need to learn the English equivalent of a word before learning to read/write it.

If you're working with an English speaker, then beginning with whole word recognition is a good start - the person's name and some basic information is a good place to start. From there you can start to work on a few phonics and learn how to put them together to form the required word. You could perhaps move on to 'flash' cards, using them to label things around the home or wherever, e.g. 'cupboard', 'wardrobe' or 'kettle'.

I would suggest the alphabet is a bit pointless right at the beginning, but it's something you could work on building up as the learning progresses. You could get your pupil to put together an A-Z vocabulary notebook, writing in it various words to practice or commonly mis-spelt words.

If working with a 'foreign' learner, begin with spoken language. Once they have some knowledge of that, then you can work on reading and writing as above.

[saxy_jag]

Oh, and I wouldn't advocate kids' books. The subject matter can be very condescending to an intelligent adult and not exactly inclined to motivate them. There are lots of basic skills books and materials out there that are far more suitable.

[dumber]

thanks rowanwitch and wolf :) lol yeah i realised about 'learn' I always get mixed up between them....and with borrow/lend :s

hi saxy, he can speak a bit of english and it would be maybe his 4th language, he reads and writes his other languages in script so he would have to learn to write from 'scratch' thanks for your suggestions :)

[dumber]

psst rowan..i spelt write wrong too lol

[dumber]

yeah i did worry about it being condescending :(

[boxtops]

Good for you for helping this person, dumber - it often takes courage for an adult to admit that they have difficulty with reading and writing. There are some good resources on the BBC skillswise website, all free, although most are aimed at teaching children - but it might be worth a look.

[Buenchico]

Useful links here:
http://www.readingage...-with-adult-learners/

Chris

[karenmac60]

Try your library - we have a series of 'quick read' books written by well known authors and tapes that accompany them. They wouldn't be any use straight away, but once the learner had progressed a bit then they could use these on their own so they could hear the word being spoken and see them written down at the same time. There are literacy organisations to help out there too - check with your local authority or the library service itself.