Teaching Suggestions
for Adults with Suspected Learning
Disabilities/Differences

Dr. Susan A. Vogel prepared the following list of pointers as a contribution to
Literacy Volunteers of America's training guide for tutors

Some adults with severe learning disabilities (LD) or learning differences may need specialized and intensive instruction in order to learn how to read and write; but most will be able to make slow, steady progress. The following are some general teaching suggestions based on principles of learning. They are not unique to the field of learning disabilities. All learners will benefit when you use them, but especially adults with LD.

  1. Break tasks down into a logical sequence of discrete steps.
  2. Pre-test, teach, test, reteach, as needed, and review.
  3. Provide multiple opportunities to respond, interact with the teacher and classmates, and participate. The more active the learner, the more learning is taking place.
  4. Be sure mastery has been achieved before moving on to the next step in the sequence of learning tasks.
  5. Provide frequent feedback that describes what was done well and how it might be improved.
  6. Encourage students to tell you how they learn best, and use this information to design future lessons.
  7. Use color, highlighter, enlargement of print, and underlining to strengthen the visual input and enhance visual memory.
  8. De-emphasize oral reading as this may interfere with comprehension and also embarrass the student. Use oral reading only for select purposes and in private. When instruction takes place in small groups, call on students with LD only if they volunteer to participate. Preparing passages for oral reading in advance of the group instruction may help prevent failure and embarrassment. Choral reading may be helpful.
  9. De-emphasize closely timed tests and tasks.
  10. Slow down the rate of your speech (assuming it is usually rapid) emphasizing important points. Maintain eye contact in order to assess level of comprehension, encourage participation, give and get feedback, and maintain attention.
  11. Maximize success and enhance self-esteem by providing opportunities for the student to be successful.
  12. Encourage the use of compensatory strategies (e.g., tape recording sessions, directions, assignments, and discussions) as aids for those with memory deficits.
  13. Teach word processing skills, use of spelling and grammar checkers, and other software.
  14. Use multi-media approaches such as audio cassette with text or video tape to preview story line of novel to supplement information from print.
  15. Teach memory enhancement strategies that will aid recall, such as listing, rewriting, categorizing, alphabetizing, visualizing, and use of associations and acronyms.

The specific strategies of choice should be individualized based on the individual's profile and the effectiveness of each strategy. This segment of the adult education population is one of the most challenging to work with, and you may also want to reach out for assistance and refer the adult with a suspected learning disability to specialists for a full assessment, career counseling, and further literacy training.

Published in the National Institute for Literacy Newsletter, Volume 3, Number 4, Spring 1996. Found online at http://novel.nifl.gov/newsletters/nspr96.htm and available through subscriptions.