Digital Promise Signature Workspace

Supporting Adult English Language Learners

Adult English-language learners' (ELLs) diversity and varying levels of English proficiency and education/literacy in their primary language requires diverse approaches to supporting their learning.

Taking learners' knowledge and skills into account

Adult learner

Primary Language refers to the language(s) a person has been exposed to from birth.

Adult learner

With increased life experiences, social interactions, and participation in education, adult learners bring a plethora of Background Knowledge to learning.

Adult learner

Composition is the ability to express ideas and information through writing.

Adult learner

Foundational Reading Skills, including phonics and Decoding, refer to skills needed for effective reading comprehension.

Cultural & Life Experiences Connections

Adult learner

Understanding adults' lived experiences and cultural backgrounds and connecting them to instructional practices helps all learners feel like valued members of the community.

Perspective Taking/Multiple Perspectives

Adult learner

Understanding that different individuals may experience and view the same event differently is a higher level cognitive skill that develops in adolescence and throughout adulthood.

Formative Assessment

Adult learner

Formative assessment is "assessment for learning" rather than "assessment of learning".

Handouts/Online Guides/Visual Reading Aids

Adult learner

Visual reading aids, such as handouts and online guides, help learners to maintain Attention and serve to support the learning process.

Direct Instruction: Vocabulary

Adult learner

Seeing and using new words repeatedly and across contexts is critical for vocabulary acquisition.

Math 3-6

Math Mindset includes learners' self-concept and self-efficacy beliefs as well as their mindset toward failure, all of which shape their willingness to get involved with mathematics.

Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA)

Math PK-2

CRA is a sequential instructional approach during which students move from working with concrete materials to creating representational drawings to using abstract symbols.

Explicit Instruction: Computer Basics

Adult learner

In an increasingly digital world, adults who struggle with using technology can benefit from direct instruction for an array of digital tools.

Building upon and Growing learners' metacognitive skills

Adult learner

Metacognition is the ability to think about our internal cognitive processes, or to "think about thinking".

Peer Feedback/Peer Review

Adult learner

When learners provide constructive feedback on each other's work, they reflect on their own understanding, learn to give relevant suggestions, receive specific ways to improve, and engage in Metacognition.

Error Analysis

Adult learner

Analyzing errors is especially beneficial in helping learners develop a Learner Mindset and critical thinking skills, which are a component of Problem Solving.

Explaining Their Thinking

Adult learner

Giving learners the opportunity to explain their thinking process aloud helps them to solidify their comprehension, and move knowledge into their Long-term Memory.

Annotating

Adult learner

When annotating, learners engage deeply with a text and make their thinking visible while reading, which supports Foundational Reading Skills.

addressing learners' foundational skills and resources

Adult learner

Socioeconomic Status (SES) refers to an individual or family's social standing as compared to other families.

Adult learner

An adult's Literacy Environment reflects the many different contexts in which they might learn.

Adult learner

Digital Literacy skills help adults access and navigate digital resources in both their personal and professional lives and can impact career and job trajectories.

Instructor Accessibility

Adult learner

Adult learners benefit from knowing there is an instructor available to provide support as needed, especially during asynchronous learning.

Direct Instruction: Internet Search

Adult learner

Teaching learners how to effectively search the internet is critical for helping them learn how to find accurate and relevant information and aids in developing information literacy.

Direct Instruction: Computer Basics

Adult learner

In an increasingly digital world, adults who struggle with using technology can benefit from direct instruction for an array of digital tools.

Direct Instruction: Online Reading Strategies

Adult learner

Research shows that, along with traditional reading comprehension strategies, learners use unique strategies to read the non-linear, hyperlinked structure of online texts.

Addressing learners' Social-Emotional Needs

Adult learner

Many stereotypes exist about the academic performance of learners based on categories such as their race, gender, or age.

Adult learner

Emotions are complex psychological states stemming from a person's experiences.

Adult learner

Inhibition, a component of executive functioning, is the ability to suppress [Attention][1] to irrelevant input and to focus on pertinent stimuli or information.

Expanding Social Networks

Adult learner

Networking and supporting adult learners in expanding their social networks provide access to additional resources and Social Supports, which can impact their trajectory and Motivation.

Positive Self-talk

Adult learner

Positive self-talk can support self-efficacy, optimism, Self-regulation, and a Learner Mindset.

Peer Mentoring/Coaching

Adult learner

Giving learners the opportunity to share their knowledge, skills, and understanding with their peers strengthens learning and increases Motivation while also building Social Supports.