Community Action, Inc. Adult Education Program
Curriculum & Instruction Guidelines
8/07
“Most adults learn best if the knowledge, skills, and strategies to be acquired are linked to real life contexts that either
mirror their own circumstances or illustrate a
reality that they would like to know.”
Heide Wrigley & Jim Powrie
Well-designed adult education and literacy instructional programs provide for active participation of learners and build on their prior knowledge, drawing on a lifetime of experiences as natural resources for learning. Adults construct meaning by integrating new experiences and information into what they have already learned.” The materials and content in the classroom are driven by what the students want to know. The teacher ceases to be the sole source of knowledge and becomes a facilitator of knowledge; the learner ceases to be a passive recipient of information and becomes an active participant.
Adult Education is a whole learning experience, bringing the adult student’s real world knowledge and needs (parenting, careers, money matters, culture and community) together with academic skills (reading, writing, math and critical thinking).
The combining of life skills and academic skills increases student interest and motivation and makes classroom learning more like real life. In this way, it accelerates learning and the achievement of student goals, whether their goal is to learn English or to prepare for college. Students not only increase their knowledge of the English language and attain their GED, but also become lifelong learners.
Creating Curriculum
The Community Action, Inc. Adult Education Program utilizes and adapts existing curricula & learning materials to best meet the needs of the students in each particular classroom and/or site. Curriculum should align with the philosophies and practices of the Texas Adult Education Content Standards and Benchmarks for ABE/ASE and ESL Learners and current adult education research and theory.
One highly effective way to begin the curriculum development process is with the administration of a student needs assessment. Needs assessments capture the interests of the students as individuals and identify commonalities in the group. Students’ interests can then shape the development of curriculum that is relevant and interesting to the class as a whole. These assessments can be written or conversational, formal or informal, but should be documented and maintained in student portfolios. (See Student Portfolio Requirements) Needs assessments should also be referred to throughout the time the student is involved in the program to continually evaluate student progress and to develop new goals.
Student Needs Assessments
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BEST/TABE Scores
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Instructional Goals & Objectives
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Student Goals & Objectives
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Instruction
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Evaluation
Curriculum Themes
Curriculum Themes should encompass the following four areas of literacy:
Financial Literacy
Examples: Budgeting; Writing checks; Borrowing money; Understanding Credit; Buying a home
Health Literacy
Examples: Understanding food labels; Fitness; Disease management & prevention; Reading prescriptions; Researching health information; Health screenings; Talking to the doctor/nurse
Computer/Technology Literacy
Examples: Keyboarding/Typing practice; Creating documents; Email; Internet Searches/Research; Internet site practice; Spreadsheet (Excel) activities
Workplace Literacy
Examples: Resume building; Internet job search; Keyboarding/Typing practice; Interview skills; Small group activities; Project based learning; Telephone etiquette; Dressing for work/interviews
Basic Skills
The basic skills of Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Math should be taught in every lesson. These skills are the building blocks that will help adults to perform learning tasks or solve daily life problems. However, instruction that focuses only on basic skills may not motivate adult learners, since they must also see how to apply these skills to what they need to accomplish at work, home and in the community. Examples of how to incorporate these skills into lessons and to combine them with life skills and the curriculum themes listed above include:
Reading
Authentic text or “realia”, such as a note from a child’s teacher, or a newspaper article should complement traditional reading materials in adult education classes. Primary reading instruction methods include: language experience approach activities, word building, cloze exercises, jig-saw activities, finding the main idea, using graphic organizers, sequencing, skimming, summarizing, guided reading, and silent reading.
Writing
Journal writing activities can capture student progress, goals and interests. Basic level student may form word lists, write with dictation, or copy sentences from the board. Higher level ELL and ABE students may correspond with their instructors, respond to daily questions or quotes, or write practice essays in their journals. The journal serves as a measure of progress for teachers and students, and serves as an invaluable source of feedback regarding the learning experience of the student. Other writing activities include: dictation, brainstorming, storyboarding, and process writing.
Listening
The use of contextualized ideas in real life forms assists the ELL, ABE & ASE student in his/her understanding of language. Suggestions include: Guest speaker presentations, listening for the main idea, reading aloud, and use of audio & video programs
Speaking
Particularly for ELL students, speaking/conversational skills should be emphasized on a daily basis. Methods include: Role playing, language experience activities, choral reading, community interactions, and student presentations
Math & Problem Solving
Basic math skills are essential to the everyday lives of students and should be incorporated into all lessons. Ideas include the use of: Maps, transportation schedules, advertisements, newspaper articles, graphs, charts, budgets, and other financial information
Instructional Methods
Common instructional methods include:
• Small and large group instruction/discussion
• Cooperative Learning
• Project Based Instruction
• Technology Assisted Instruction
• Individualized Instruction
• Site Visits
• Guest Speakers
• Student presentations and experiments
The instructional method selected should be based on the learning objectives of the instructor and the students. Most instructors use a combination of the above methods of instruction.