Jarrod sits down at his table in the literacy skills class at his local TAFE. He is running a little late so he tries to ignore the slightly disapproving look his teacher shoots him as he slides his chair into place and opens his laptop. She is certainly a teacher who has mastered the art of non verbal communication! Jarrod knows she can communicate 'you are late to my class,' without ever making a sound. He had enjoyed last lesson where they had played a matching game to help them all learn about signs and symbols in the community.
The other students are already reading, so Jarrod quickly picks up the printed article his teacher has just shared with him and begins to read too. He is part way through reading the text (and just starting to really get into learning about the Winter Olympics and snowboarding events) when he glances at the bottom of the page. There, written clearly across the page for everyone to see, are the words 'Grade 3 Non Fiction Sport Series.'
He looks more carefully at the article. It is only then he notices the picture at the top. It shows a cute little girl figure with skis on her feet, smiling happily. The figure is obviously designed for much younger children, and Jarrod begins to find himself feeling angry and frustrated. He has tried so hard with his reading, and really felt like he had been making progress this year. And now he has just discovered that the text his teacher had shared with him was written for a Grade 3 child.
Jarrod looks across at his mate, Chaz, who is still reading the first page of the article. Jarrod knows Chaz takes a while to read, and that's just fine with him. He thinks about telling Chaz what he has discovered, then decides against it. He knows Chaz would be upset too, if he found out the article they were reading was really meant for little children. Instead, Jarrod silently stands up and collects his things. With the whole class watching, he picks up the article and walks with it to his teacher's desk. He drops it on the desk and leaves the room without saying a word.
Right reading level
So what can we learn from Jarrod's experience with the Winter Olympics text?
We can see the text was probably written at approximately the right reading level for his needs. Jarrod had been enjoying the text and, right until the time when he found the Grade level in the footer, it had been a text that interested and engaged him. So it's a reasonable assumption that the sentence length, vocabulary and word count per page were all about right.
What wasn't right for Jarrod was the reading level being designed primarily for young students. Junior readers often lack the page design features that are important for older students; captions on photos, quotes, page and section numbering and technical vocabulary. They also lack the focus on thematic learning where students spend a number of sessions on a topic, linking their literacy, numeracy, problem solving and related skills to a central topic such as creative arts and theatre work. So although Jarrod was able to read the text, it was unlikely to extend his skills in a meaningful and age appropriate way.
For students in Jarrod's class, an activity like learning about water safety through simple reading passages and verbal or written questions could be a handy option - this links independence skills with literacy and communication in a small group.
Right topic
The topic was clearly something that worked for Jarrod as he was enjoying reading about the Winter Olympics, and we often find that young people are engaged by sports and recreation. This is an area where the teacher has succeeded in finding content that ticks the box for Jarrod and means he is able to engage with the text. He is interested in the Winter Olympics, so he is motivated to keep reading the article. Choosing a topic that interests a student is a great way of prompting interest and keeping them engaged throughout a learning task.
Wrong format
The format is what really let Jarrod down in this learning experience. Jarrod is a young man with an intellectual disability. His reading level is lower than that of his similar age peers. However his interests, experiences and self concept are aligned with his chronological age of 19. The text he read in class was perfect in terms of reading level and interest. However, the impact of the page design and formatting when Jarrod discovered it was pitched at a middle primary level cannot be underestimated.
Formats that can work well for young adults with an intellectual disability include:
posters and visual displays
magazines
E-zines
web pages
graphic novels
short stories
multi modal texts
single or double page articles
Here's an idea for a word wall that is a great way of building age appropriate work related vocabulary for young adults:
Page design is a vital consideration when choosing a text for a teen or young adult reader. Pages which are clear, to the point and focused on the task at hand are great options. Pages which contain distractions such as cutesy pictures, rounded faces, small animals or hearts and flowers are not. While these design features are perfectly appropriate for a resource aimed at young children, they are not suitable for teens and young adults. Format and styling send an unspoken message to the reader from the author of the text. They tell the reader how they are perceived by the author, and if the text is appropriately chosen, this works well. But if the text was originally designed for a young child and is given to an older reader who finds reading challenging, the impact can be far reaching.
Mental health and wellbeing
The message Jarrod has received from this unspoken transaction between himself and the text's author is that he is aligned closely with the skills and knowledge of a primary child. He has learnt the author, and by default his teacher, believe he is capable of only reading at the level of a child many years his junior. And although Jarrod does not read easily or quickly, he is perfectly aware of the messages contained within the text. His previous confident manner when he entered the class has been replaced by uncertainty and distrust.
To the future
So what is next for Jarrod on his reading journey and literacy skills development? Only time will tell if he decides to return to his literacy class and try again. What if Jarrod never return to the class and instead goes on to other things in his life? If that happens, a valuable learning opportunity has ended for all the parties involved in this short transaction in a classroom; the teacher does not get the chance to try again with a different and more suitable text, the author does not get the chance to design a text that is a great fit for Jarrod and his reading needs and most importantly Jarrod does not get to continue learning to read in a way which is just right for him.
On the other hand, perhaps Jarrod does return to class and tells his teacher what upset him about the article he began reading. This gives the teacher the chance to learn about the experience from Jarrod's perspective and reflect on different ways of resourcing the class with learning materials. Perhaps Jarrod continues his reading journey and has the opportunity to reading widely with age appropriate, accessible texts that are a good fit for his age, reading stage and interests.
Only time will tell where Jarrod's reading and literacy skills pathway goes from here.
Explore Resources
Find more resources to support young adult learners such as Jarrod in your own class.
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