Assisting Struggling Readers and
Writers: Using Evidence-Based
Resources to Support Adult Learners
Michigan Conference 2014
Kathy Houghton-- LINCS
Purpose
The purpose of this resource is to introduce
teachers, program directors, and professional
developers to LINCS and other evidence-based
resources that instructors of adult learners can
use to inform their classroom practices with
struggling readers and writers.
Agenda
Session 1: Introduction to Reading Instruction
Session 2: Introduction to Writing Instruction
Session 3: Overview of Reading and Writing Instruction
for Struggling Adults
Session 4: Tour of LINCS Website and Resource Collection
Session 5: Resources for Reading Instruction
Session 6: Resources for Writing Instruction
Session 7: Additional Web Resources
Session 8: Closing
Learning Objectives
After participating in this training, participants will be able to:

Summarize major findings of recent research about the
challenges that instructors face while teaching reading and
writing skills to struggling adult learners

Identify research-based strategies that may prove effective in
helping struggling adult readers and writers in developing skills

Navigate the LINCS collections to find resources that support
reading and writing activities for low-literacy-skilled adults

Apply reading and writing strategies to text-based materials

Register for the LINCS communities of practice, create a profile,
and join a community
SESSION 1:
Introduction to
Reading Instruction
1.1. Evidence-Based Reading Instruction

“Evidence-based” refers to practices that have been
shown to be successful in improving reading
achievement. The success of these practices is
demonstrated in two ways: by research study data
collected according to rigorous design, and by
consensus among expert practitioners who monitor
outcomes as part of their practice.

For more information on what evidence-based
instruction is and what it looks like, refer to the U.S.
Department of Education’s (2012) report, What Is
Evidence-Based Reading Instruction and How Do You
Know It When You See It?.
1.2. Core Components of Reading Instruction

Decoding

Fluency

Vocabulary

Reading Comprehension
1.3. General Principles of Reading Instruction

Use explicit and systematic instruction to develop
the major components of reading (decoding,
fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) according to
the assessed needs of individual learners.

Combine explicit and systematic instruction with
extended reading practice to promote acquisition
and transfer of component reading skills.

Motivate engagement with the literacy tasks used
for instruction and extensive reading practice.
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for
practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-2]
1.3. General Principles of Reading Instruction
(continued)

Develop reading fluency as needed to facilitate
efficiency in the reading of words and longer text.

Explicitly teach the structure of written language
to facilitate decoding and comprehension.

To develop vocabulary, use a mixture of
instructional approaches combined with extensive
reading of texts to create “an enriched verbal
environment.”
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for
practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-2]
1.3. General Principles of Reading Instruction
To develop comprehension, teach varied goals and
purposes for reading; encourage learners to state
their own reading goals, predictions, questions, and
reactions to material; encourage extensive reading
practice with varied forms of text; teach and model
the use of multiple comprehension strategies, teach
self-regulation in the monitoring of strategy use.
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for
practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-2]
SESSION #1 ACTIVITY
What is evidence-based reading
instruction and how do you know it
when you see it?
SESSION 2:
Introduction to
Writing Instruction
2.1. General Principles of Writing Instruction

Explicitly and systematically teach the
strategies, skills and knowledge of proficient
writing

Connect explicit instruction with extended and
varied opportunities of purpose-driven writing

Explicitly teach foundational skills
2.1 General Principles of Writing Instruction

Model writing strategies and support students’
self-regulation of the writing process

Make explicit the reading-writing connections

Create classroom environments and protocols
that support learner motivation and
persistence
2.2. Effective Practices in Writing Instruction

Strategy instruction for planning, revising,
and/or editing compositions.

Summarizing reading passages in writing.

Peer assistance in planning, drafting, and
revising compositions.

Setting clear, specific goals for purposes or
characteristics of the writing.

Using word processing regularly.
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for
practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-5]
2.2. Effective Practices in Writing Instruction
(continued)

Sentence-combining instruction (instruction in
combining short sentences into more complex
sentences, usually including exercises and
application to real writing).

Process approach to writing with professional
development.

Inquiry approach (including clear goals,
analysis of data, using specified strategies, and
applying the analysis to writing).
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for
practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-5]
2.2. Effective Practices in Writing Instruction
(continued)

Prewriting activities (teaching students
activities to generate content prior to writing).

Analyzing models of good writing (discussing
the features of good essays and learning to
imitate those features).
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for
practice and research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. [Box 2-5]
SESSION #2 ACTIVITY
How can you incorporate writing
strategies into your instruction?
SESSION 3:
Overview of Reading and
Writing Instruction for
Struggling Adults
3.1. Principles of Instruction for
Struggling Learners

Individualize approaches to intervention by
targeting specific literacy difficulties through
explicit reading and writing instruction

Struggling learners must have more explicit
instruction with more intensity and greater
opportunities to practice developing skills

Struggling learners need additional support to
transfer new literacy skills into contexts
different from those in which they learned
them
3.1. Principles of Instruction for
Struggling Learners (continued)

Instructors need to identify, understand, and
address maladaptive attributions, beliefs and
motivations with targeted instruction

Instruction should be differentiated to scaffold
learning and meet individual needs and
learning goals
SESSION #3 ACTIVITY
What experiences have you had
working with struggling readers and
writers?
SESSION 4:
Tour of LINCS Website
and Resource Collection
4.1. LINCS Website
4.2. LINCS Communities of Practice
SESSION 5:
Resources for
Reading Instruction
5.1. Types of Resources Available

Research on adult reading instruction

Research-based products

Professional Development Opportunities
5.2. Research on Adult Reading Instruction
5.2.a. Synthesis of Research on Adult
Reading Instruction
In 2012, the National Research
Council released Improving Adult
Literacy Instruction: Options for
Practice and Research. This 500page document synthesizes the
research on literacy and learning
instruction in the United States,
focusing on individuals ages 16
and older who are not in the K-12
education system. The full report
can be accessed here.
SESSION #5 ACTIVITY
Take a look at the research to get an
idea of what is available
5.2.b. Practitioner-Friendly Research
In addition to the full report, the NRC has released two
practitioner-friendly booklets that summarize the results
of the report and provide information that is relevant to
curriculum developers, literacy program administrators,
teachers, and tutors. Both booklets can be accessed here.
5.3. Products for Practitioners

The LINCS network offers a number of texts
and websites for instructors. Two will be
described in the following slides:

Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults

Assessment Strategies and Reading Profiles
5.3.a. Applying Research in Reading
Instruction for Adults
This document was
developed by the
National Center for
Family Literacy in 2005
and written by Susan
McShane. It aims to build
instructors’ background
knowledge about reading
and scientifically-based
reading instruction.
5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading
Profiles – Step 1
5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading
Profiles – Step 2
5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading
Profiles – Step 3
5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading
Profiles – Step 4
5.3.b. Assessment Strategies and Reading
Profiles – Step 5