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ELA
English Language Arts

English Language Acquisition (ELA) encompasses a comprehensive range of skills and competencies that empower individuals to effectively communicate, analyze, and interpret written and spoken language. This subject area encompasses reading, writing, speaking, and listening, offering adult learners valuable tools to succeed in both personal and professional realms.

Standards for Adult Education

  • CASAS Competencies | Resource

    • CASAS Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking Content Standards - the CASAS Basic Skills Content Standards specify the academic skills embedded in the CASAS Competencies. You will see these on a TOPSpro report for your students | Website

  • College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRS) | Resource

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Professional Development

  • Enhancing the Overall Well-Being and Academic Success of Adult Education Students Through the Use of Social-Emotional Learning | Presentation | Video | Infographics

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Professional Learning Resources

  • New England Literacy Resource Center (NELRC) | Website

  • Reading Skills for Today's Adults (RSTA) - an online collection of leveled readings addressing various topics of interest to adult learners. | Website

  • Financial Literacy - World Education's EdTech Maker Space worked with Florida Literacy Coalition to compile resources to support adult learners in developing financial literacy skills. The resources are now available in a set of eight Wakelet collections containing over 300 free resources aligned to key topics such as Budgeting, Saving, Dealing with Debt, and Personal Banking. 

    • ​Financial Literacy Resource Bank: Library Overview | Resource​

    • Wakelet Collections | Resource

Rachel Spinks.jpg
Rachel Spinks

ELA Consultant

spinks@edadvance.org

Need Help?

Consultants are available to provide guidance, resource location, and strategic planning, etc.

spinks@edadvance.org

Tips to Build Learners’ ELA and Digital Literacy Skills

Digital literacy is key to thriving in today’s world. How can you build adult learners’ digital literacy skills in English language arts (ELA) lessons? ELA instruction is a perfect place to cultivate digital literacy. Using these tips, you can support adult learners in becoming adept readers, skilled writers, and savvy digital citizens.

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  1. Enhance Online Research Skills - Online research is a vital step in a student’s academic growth. It also helps foster ELA skills such as reading, writing, and critical thinking. Here are three  things to focus on:

    • Teach learners how to evaluate sources for credibility, bias, and relevance. Explain that not all online sources are reliable.

    • Guide learners in analyzing and synthesizing research from credible sources. Then, support them in using the research to form and communicate evidence-based claims. 

    • Engage learners in conversations about plagiarism to cultivate responsible and ethical digital citizenship. 

  2. Foster Collaboration - You can choose from a wide range of tools to support collaborative work. A few examples of tools that help build ELA, collaboration, and digital literacy skills follow:

    • Ask learners to work in groups on presentations and writing assignments using tools like Google Slides, Canva, and Google Docs.  

    • Engage learners in using apps’ commenting features to share their insights on reading or to provide peer feedback. You can also use these features to provide feedback on writing tasks. 

    • Show learners how to use Jamboard and Padlet to write responses to prompts and questions from you and your peers.  

  3. Embrace Multimedia - Technology tools enable learners to convey information in a variety of formats. Here are two ideas to foster learners’ creativity, digital literacy, and ELA skills:

    • Ask learners to add multimedia elements to their projects. Let them choose the multimedia tools they want to use.

    • Encourage learners to share their ideas in multiple ways. Design projects that include infographics, short videos, and more.

  4. Use Real-World Tasks - Almost all workplaces demand both strong digital and ELA skills. This amplifies the need to blend ELA, digital literacy, and job skill instruction. Keep the following in mind:

    • Create assignments that use common workplace tools, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Tasks can include writing professional emails, designing slide presentations, and completing digital forms. All of the competencies learners gain will have direct relevance in the professional realm.

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