Characteristics of Adult Learners
Characteristics of Adult Learners
Adult learners are qualitatively different than younger learners. You certainly can “teach an old dog new tricks” by understanding the cognitive and social characteristics of adult learners. Using the right instructional strategies to maximize the learning advantages and address the learning challenges of adult learners can make all the difference in their success. This is particularly true with respect to remedial reading programs.
Reading intervention programs designed to differentiate instruction by building on the adult’s prior knowledge and allowing adult learners to move at their own pace have been found to be much more successful than one-size-fits-all canned programs.
Years ago after receiving my master’s degree as a reading specialist, I part-timed at the reading center of American River College in Sacramento. The counselors administered reading and math assessments and helped place students in the appropriate classes. Many students wound up in the Reading Center to learn to read or brush up on their literacy skills. I quickly learned that my adult students did not learn how my middle school and high school students learned.
True, the adult learners needed the same content and skills as did my younger learners, but for me to engage these adult learners I had to teach them differently.
In an interesting 2015 study regarding the effectiveness of two instructional approaches to remedial reading instruction for community college students (traditional textbook-based and strategic-reading instruction), the results were as follows:
The findings showed that both methods of instruction were equally effective in improving the reading comprehension skills of community college students in a developmental reading course. Based on the findings, community college leaders are encouraged to assess the effectiveness of the instructional methods used in developmental courses to ensure at-risk community college students are receiving the most beneficial instruction (2015) Evaluation of the effectiveness of remedial reading courses at community colleges, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 40:6, 523-533, DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2015.1080200.
The instructional approaches showed no statistically significant differences in the results. The one variable determining success and/or failure is the instructor-student relationship. Adult education and community college professors teach students, first and foremost, and subject and/or skills, secondarily.
Adult Learner Cognitive Characteristics
Generally speaking, most adult learners share the following characteristics:
- Tend to be self-directed and want control over their own learning
- Have self-imposed cognitive barriers due to years of academic failure and lack self-confidence
- Can be resistant to new ideas or approaches–are less open-minded than youth
- Under-estimate their ability to learn
- Desire pragmatic and relevant instruction that they perceive as valuable
- Are intrinsically motivated
- Interpret new learning in the context of old learning
- Learn at a slower pace than that of youth
- Are very concerned about the effective use of their time
Adult Learner Social Characteristics
Generally speaking, most adult learners share the following characteristics:
- Can be resistant to group work
- See teachers as peer partners in the learning process
- Demand teacher availability and easy access
- Want flexibility and see learning as secondary to other pre-occupations in their lives
Adult Learner Instructional Strategies
- Adult learners need to be actively included in their own evaluation of assessment data. Students set personal goals and use learning activities that directly address assessment deficits and demonstrate incremental progress toward their short-term and long-term goals. Reading workshops can easily be individualized to allow adult learners to work at their own pace.
- A few talking points may be helpful to bolster the confidence of adult learners and to provide the motivation needed for their success:
“Unfortunately, some of your past reading instruction was poor; it’s not your fault that you have some skills to work on.” a.k.a. “blame someone else”
“You can learn in this class. If you come to class willing to try, you will significantly improve your reading, I promise.” I will be flexible and work around your schedule.
“I know you have tried before, but this time is different.”
“You will be able to chart your own progress and see what you are learning in this class.”
“Don’t give up. Adult learners can learn. Although they sometimes learn a bit more slowly than children, they learn at a deeper and more memorable level. The pay-off will be huge for you when you complete this class.”
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The Science of Reading Intervention Program
The Science of Reading Intervention Program: Word Recognition includes explicit, scripted, sounds to print instruction and practice with the 5 Daily Google Slide Activities every grades 4-adult reading intervention student needs: 1. Phonemic Awareness and Morphology 2. Blending, Segmenting, and Spelling 3. Sounds and Spellings (including handwriting) 4. Heart Words Practice 5. Sam and Friends Phonics Books (decodables). Plus, digital and printable sound wall cards, speech articulation songs, sounds to print games, and morphology walls. Print versions are available for all activities. First Half of the Year Program (55 minutes-per-day, 18 weeks)
The Science of Reading Intervention Program: Language Comprehension resources are designed for students who have completed the word recognition program or have demonstrated basic mastery of the alphabetic code and can read with some degree of fluency. The program features the 5 Weekly Language Comprehension Activities: 1. Background Knowledge Mentor Texts 2. Academic Language, Greek and Latin Morphology, Figures of Speech, Connotations, Multiple Meaning Words 3. Syntax in Reading 4. Reading Comprehension Strategies 5. Literacy Knowledge (Narrative and Expository). Second Half of the Year Program (30 minutes-per-day, 18 weeks)
The Science of Reading Intervention Program: Assessment-based Instruction provides diagnostically-based “second chance” instructional resources. The program includes 13 comprehensive assessments and matching instructional resources to fill in the yet-to-be-mastered gaps in phonemic awareness, alphabetic awareness, phonics, fluency (with YouTube modeled readings), Heart Words and Phonics Games, spelling patterns, grammar, usage, and mechanics, syllabication and morphology, executive function shills. Second Half of the Year Program (25 minutes-per-day, 18 weeks)
The Science of Reading Intervention Program BUNDLE includes all 3 program components for the comprehensive, state-of-the-art (and science) grades 4-adult full-year program. Scripted, easy-to-teach, no prep, no need for time-consuming (albeit valuable) LETRS training or O-G certification… Learn as you teach and get results NOW for your students. Print to speech with plenty of speech to print instructional components.
Click the SCIENCE OF READING INTERVENTION PROGRAM RESOURCES for detailed program description, sample lessons, and video overviews. Click the links to get these ready-to-use resources, developed by a teacher (Mark Pennington, MA reading specialist) for teachers and their students.
Get the SCRIP Comprehension Cues FREE Resource:
Get the Diagnostic ELA and Reading Assessments FREE Resource:
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