It is no secret that many adult learners who enter GED® preparatory programs across the country experienced hardship and difficulty in K-12 schools. Often, many of these same students had to battle with learning disabilities such as ADD/ADHD, making school and learning an even more challenging task. Learning and concentration difficulties are…

Concept maps (Cmaps) are still underutilized in adult literacy programs and classes. The teaching and learning approaches that have been used historically in adult literacy programs to address the learning needs of these students have not kept pace with the literacy skill demands that have sprung from the increased pace of technological…

In 1979, when the author began as an academic instructor at the Central Coast Adult School, located inside the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, California, he saw his teaching role in the traditional sense of imparting knowledge through the school's curriculum. Over time, however, his viewpoint changed as he came to recognize that the…

This paper analyzes the influence of three different learning paradigms for learning literacy--formalist, cognitive-processing, and literacy practices--on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. It argues that the Common Core State Standards are based largely on a formalist paradigm as evident in the emphasis on teaching text…

Teacher perspectives on the adult education profession were examined in a national survey designed to improve understanding of the current cadre of "professional" adult educators and assess their experiences, needs, and preferences for professional development. A 31-item questionnaire, called the Professional Development Kit Needs…

This curriculum was developed to assist adult education teachers (especially in Kentucky) to prepare adults to function in today's society and that of the next century. Materials in the guide go beyond preparing adults to pass the General Educational Development (GED) test to preparing them with life skills. The curriculum includes traditional…

Designed for adult basic education staff members, this book provides general information about adult basic education and about teaching in an adult basic education setting. The first section is introductory; in the second, material is provided dealing with the administrator's role. The third section offers suggestions to teachers regarding their…

This training packet, consisting of a workshop guide, two instructional guides, and assorted pamphlets and brochures, is intended for use by volunteer tutors who are themselves learning how to work with adults enrolled in an adult literacy program. The following topics are covered in the training workshop guide: the objectives and workings of…

Ten papers address areas of concern regarding improvement in serving the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) adults. The first paper (by D. Terdy) overviews the background and skills LEP adults bring to adult education programs as well as their language needs and educational goals. The second paper (by S. Smith) describes changes in adult…

This paper reviews significant events and resources that have emerged since the 1992 publication of "Adult Literacy Education: Current and Future Directions. An Update" by Hanna Fingeret. It analyzes major milestones in research and practice in literacy education that have occurred in the last decade. The paper begins by looking at the…

Intended to help ABE (Adult Basic Education) teachers learn to design effective learning activities, this handbook provides activity suggestions, informative materials, and sample forms and materials. Section 1, Adults as Learners, discusses the adult learner's unique characteristics and includes an article on teaching strategies and learning…

A staff development program was conducted to provide adult educators in Pennsylvania with information about adults with learning differences and information about using alternative instructional tools and techniques to instruct such adults. The following four training sessions were developed: (1) Teaching GED (General Educational Development) Math…