[AAACE-NLA] Neuroscience and Adult Literacy

[tsticht at znet.com]

Derek: You asked: "is the work by Dr. Shaywitz and other taking hold in the
adult literacy community?"

Answer: Sally discusses a wide range of things about reading education.
Various programs use the Orton-Gillngham-based approach, some using
commercial programs such as the Wilson like you are using. This does not
mean that all programs use the O-G type programs, but they have "taken
hold" in many programs. Yu can contact the web sites for progrms like the
Wilson or Lindamood to find out more about who is using them.

Sally also recommends what reading specialists have previously referred to
as an "active reading strategy" and says, "I like to divide reading
comprehension activities into three parts: those you can do before opening
the book, those that are most helpful as the child reads, and those that
help him organize his thoughts and sum the events of the story after he
finishes reading." (p. 241) This is, of course, a modification of
Robinson's 1941 SQ3R study skills method in which before reading one
surveys the text and raises questions about what it may deal with (this
mobilizes prior knowledge), then reads and during reading recites in ones
own words what the meaning of what is being read is, and then reviews
afterwards to firmly set in mind what has been read. This active reading
strategy is widely used in reading instruction in both K-12 and adult
literacy programs.

Derek: You also asked, "what other literacy programs are showing success or
otherwise in using her 'instructional program' recommendations, such as
those we have acquired?"

Answer: As  indicated in my answer to your first question, Sally discusses
many aspects of teaching reading that are in wide-spread use in K-12  and
adult literacy programs across the nation, and, indeed, in many nations.
She discusses the active reading strategy, O-G systematic instruction for
disabled readers, she even cites some of my work on functional context,
workplace literacy programs, and she discusses other variants of literacy
instruction, all of which are in use in a number of programs in a number of
nations.

I hope this is useful. Keep up the good work!

Tom Sticht