Teachers in adult education know that every learner brings a unique set of skills to the classroom and there is no one size fits all approach. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top 5 literacy blogs to help educators exchange ideas and keep abreast of the latest research findings.

One of the most important things we learn at school is how to read and write. Literacy skills allow us to be functioning members of society, working and living productive and informed lives. Everything from the directions on a bottle of medicine to a job application requires reading.

That’s why it’s crucial for adults who struggle with literacy skills to have access to education opportunities. Moreover, programs should not only provide reading instruction, but also take into account the emotional and social aspects of returning to school as a mature learner. 

Learning disabilities are neurological differences in the way the human brain processes, stores and communicates information. Some estimates suggest that over 10% of the world’s population is affected by a learning disability such as dyslexia, dysgraphia and/or dyscalculia. These conditions can also co-present with processing disorders, attention difficulties (ADHD) and/or a fine motor skills disorder like dyspraxia. In extreme cases, they can cause individuals to miss out on literacy and math skills development, particularly when schools do not recognize the symptoms early on.

For adults, having an undiagnosed learning disability can affect career choice, limit job advancement and lead to a number of psychological and emotional issues, including depression and feelings of low self-worth. This is particularly true when the person interprets his or her past educational failures as personal faults and experiences feelings of embarrassment and shame because of a perceived intellectual deficiency.

The tragedy is that with the right diagnosis, coping strategies and accommodations can be put in place to help every individual with a learning disability achieve their full potential.

There are two common ways to use a keyboard. You can use your pointers to hit one key at a time and spell out words. This approach is known as the "Hunt and Peck" method and means you have to stare down at the keyboard and your fingers instead of looking up at the screen. You can also try typing without looking which requires you to put your whole hands down on the keyboard with fingers resting lightly on the A, S, D, F and ;, J, K, and L keys and then lift one finger at a time to type a string of keys and spell out words. The trouble with typing without looking is it involves some fairly intricate movements that need to be rehearsed until they feel comfortable, and it can be hard to learn!

It also takes some time before you can pick up enough speed to make it faster than two finger typing. But touch typists do tend to be faster which is what has convinced a lot of people to give typing lessons a try. It's just important to find the right program to teach you typing (one that focuses on accuracy before speed is crucial), and to get some feedback on your method, including your posture and the angle of your wrists. You might also want to invest in the right keyboard, one that fits your hands. And, you need a strong desire to give up your two-fingered typing ways -- you have to stop looking down!

Giftedness is often defined as an intellectual ability linked to an IQ score of 130 or more. However, not all gifted children excel in an academic area. Signs of a gifted child also include a high creative, artistic, musical and/or leadership ability relative to same-age peers.

Giftedness can be focused in a single skill, or it can be more general. It's also important for parents and educators to understand that giftedness can sometimes come alongside specific learning differences that affect performance at school.

In these situations it's important to help a child develop their talents while also overcoming any challenges posed by a learning difficulty.

In some cases of giftedness, it may be appropriate for a child to attend a special program or a school specifically for gifted children. The aim is to ensure ample opportunities for advancement in a classroom environment that is sensitive to the child's needs and provides adequate stimulation.

With access to the right resources and emotional and academic support, every gifted child can achieve their full potential at school.

While both dysarthria and aphasia can affect an individual’s ability to produce fluent and intelligible speech, they have very different causes. Dysarthria is an umbrella term used for disorders that impact the muscles used in speaking, including the lips, tongue, throat, vocal cords and diaphragm.

It causes a wide range of symptoms including breathy and nasal speech, drooling, uneven starts and stops, irregular volume, intonation and emphasis, and unclear articulation of words. Unlike brain-based conditions, language comprehension skills are typically not affected. On the other hand, aphasia is the result of injury to the brain. It has to do with understanding and producing language and symptoms will depend on the location and severity of the brain damage.