Literacy Network of Los Angeles

A Mother reads to her children.

The Institute is based on a curriculum and approach for teaching literacy skills to adults. It uses children’s books and adult poems/narratives as the basis for instruction.  These texts provide a format for adult learners to develop skills in all four areas of literacy:

1. Listening
2. Speaking
3. Reading
4. Writing

The nationally recognized instructional model and curriculum have been applied in a wide variety of settings including family literacy programs, Adult Basic Education, Head Start, Title I, Even Start, parent education, community-based literacy, Parents as Teachers, libraries, and correctional facilities.

The 20-hour interactive training addresses a variety of teaching approaches and learning styles. It combines individual assignments, small group work, lecture, and discussion.

Topics covered in the training include:

• Use of story: thematic analysis.
• Adult classes: use of parent education and literacy development curriculum, instructional techniques, lesson planning, preparation, and presentations.
• Evaluation: authentic assessment, student goals, measuring student outcomes, using standardized measures.
• Program implementation: start-up, recruitment and retention, program development, and integration of curriculum into existing program structures and requirements.