Introduction

About this Course

Literacy practitioners realize that there are certain things to know, skills to develop and practices to adopt in order to work effectively and successfully, face-to-face with learners on a daily basis. This course provides information, strategies and practical support to help practitioners: inspire, motivate, and challenge adults to grow as learners; meet individual needs in a group setting; teach reading, writing and math for various and specific purposes; maintain balance in the program, i.e. instruction that targets skills and knowledge and behaviours for specific goals; provide training based on daily assessment of the learners’ work; prepare learners to move forward and be successful beyond LBS.

The course is organized into three substantial units of study. You will find main course notes, links to additional readings and online resources, and opportunities to pause for self-reflection. Guided reflection through questions and journaling will help you focus on the impact these materials have on your own thinking, and what implications follow for day-to-day teaching practice.

At the heart of the Literacy and Basic Skills Program (LBS) is the core business of teaching and learning. What does it take to make this teaching-learning exchange successful? Literacy practitioners, who enjoy working with people and are motivated by the desire to make a difference, will all tell you that it takes a lot more than interest and enthusiasm to help learners make steady progress and achieve their goals. Both research and experience confirms that success for learners is closely tied to the professional abilities of the instructor. The goal of this module is to help adult literacy practitioners develop and strengthen their knowledge and skills for delivering most effective, day-to-day training. 

Essential skills for the daily instruction of adult literacy are identified, along with a number of other core skills, in the Adult Literacy Educator Core Skills List- (ALECSL) School Board Sector document.  

Click on Adult Literacy Educator Core Skills List (ALECSL) – School Board Sector if you would like to see the complete list.

The ALECSL describes essential skills for teaching in this way: 

An effective literacy instructor has the ability to:

• facilitate the learning process of planning, work and growth for individuals in a classroom setting,
• select, adapt and create appropriate learning materials and resources,
• communicate effectively in a learning environment,
• develop strategies for the teaching of reading, writing, speaking and listening and numeracy,
• use ongoing assessment and evaluation processes.

The document goes on to describe a number of ways in which these core skills can be demonstrated in an instructor’s performance and daily work.  Skills In Action describes how these skills can be recognized.

While these further explanations are helpful, they also raise a number of questions. For example,

What does an instructor actually do in order to:

• foster a cooperative, collaborative approach to learning?
• facilitate independent and self-directed learning?
• promote effective interpersonal skills?
• design activities to meet a variety of learning styles, experiences, expectations and skill levels?
• help learners transfer skills to daily life?

These are the questions we will attempt to answer in this training.

Proceed to Table of Contents