Teaching Adults With Learning Disabilities How To Read
71Individuals with learning disabilities should be professionally diagnosed.
Proper preparation and appropriate teaching methods help when teaching an adult with learning disabilities how to read. A professional assessment and diagnosis of specific learning disabilities allows for the planning of effective teaching strategies. Because many adults with learning disabilities may have negative past experiences with reading, the teacher should be patient and supportive during lessons. Adults with learning disabilities can learn to read using specially developed teaching methods.
Step 1
Identify the learning disability. Find out if the adult student has ever had an assessment completed. If not, advise the person to undergo professional testing so that his specific learning disabilities can be diagnosed, and his strengths and weaknesses identified.
Step 2
Research the different types of teaching methods used for people with learning disabilities. If you know the student's learning style, find out more about the teaching methods that incorporate that particular style.
Step 3
Develop a teaching plan. Many people who experience reading disabilities have dyslexia, the most common learning disability. According to Science Daily, a 2004 study showed that phonics-based instruction significantly improves reading abilities in dyslexic adults. People with dyslexia should use a phonics-based program when learning to read.
Step 4
Find the teaching method which gives the best results. If you do not know which learning disability the person has, begin using one of the teaching methods designed for people with learning disabilities -- alphabetic phonics, the Barton reading and spelling system or the Multi-sensory Teaching Approach (MTA).
Step 5
Continue reading sessions if progress is being made. Monitor your student's progress. If the person shows substantial reading improvement, then she should continue working on her reading using the most effective method. If the student does not show any progress after three months of reading sessions, then find a tutor who specializes in learning disabilities to continue working with her on her reading skills.
- Be supportive as you teach an adult how to read. Individuals with learning disabilities might suffer from low self-esteem, so keep all communication positive and encouraging.
- Some people are misdiagnosed during evaluations. If your adult student does not respond well to professional learning recommendations, begin exploring alternate teaching methods, making note of which methods are most effective.
- Learning Disabilities Association of America: Assessment, Evaluation and Literacy
- Eric Digests: Adult Literacy Learner Assessment. ERIC Digest No. 103
- Dyslexia Adults Link: Dyslexia Testing and Assessment
- Science Daily: Adults With Dyslexia Can Improve With Phonics-Based Instruction, Research Shows
 | Amazon Price: $22.97 List Price: $27.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $31.37 List Price: $39.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $25.00 |
