Adult learners often enter ABE and GED® programs reading below level. This session shares practical, classroom-ready strategies to strengthen foundational skills and build deeper comprehension through meaningful, real-world texts.
About This Session
Description
Many adult learners enter ABE and HSE programs reading below grade level, often struggling with vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Without strong reading skills, success on high school equivalency exams, in IET programs, and in workforce training becomes more difficult.
This interactive session provides practical, classroom-ready strategies to strengthen foundational skills while moving learners toward deeper comprehension. Participants will explore ways to support decoding and fluency, teach vocabulary within authentic texts, and scaffold informational reading that mirrors workplace and academic demands. Attendees will leave with adaptable lesson routines and tools designed specifically for struggling adult readers—helping learners move from simply getting through a passage to truly understanding and applying what they read.
What we'll cover:
This session is designed for ABE, GED®, ESL, and IET instructors who work with low-level and intermediate adult readers and want practical ways to strengthen reading instruction without “watering down” content.
Session Objectives & Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
- Identify the most common reading gaps in adult learners (word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension)
- Understand how foundational skill weaknesses impact GED® success, IET participation, and workforce readiness
- Learn how to embed vocabulary and fluency instruction inside meaningful, contextualized texts
- Apply scaffolded strategies that move learners from surface reading to deeper understanding
- Develop a simple, adaptable lesson structure that supports both foundational skills and higher-level thinking
Research & Practice Foundation
Grounded in research on adult literacy, cognitive load, and comprehension development, this session connects foundational reading instruction with real-world application. Participants will explore why adults often struggle with informational text and how explicit, structured practice improves persistence and measurable progress.
Planned Activities & Engagement
- Analyze a sample workplace or HSE-style passage to identify hidden reading demands
- Participate in a guided routine demonstrating how to teach decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension within the same lesson
- Practice using a scaffolded questioning framework that builds critical thinking
- Reflect on current classroom practices and identify one immediate instructional shift
Practical Tools Participants Receive
- A repeatable reading lesson framework
- Vocabulary-in-context routines
- Fluency-building techniques appropriate for adult learners
- Scaffolded comprehension question stems
- Adaptable templates for contextualized reading activities
Participants will leave with ready-to-use strategies that strengthen foundational skills while preparing learners for exams, career training, and everyday reading demands—because when adults read with confidence, opportunities expand.
Topics & Focus
Primary Topic Area
Session will also cover:
Assigned by TCALL
Pending
Audience
Level
Case study?
Promotion?
Find definitions of topic areas, audiences, levels, and PD categories by clicking on any icon, or see them all on this page.
A note from the presenter:
This will be an interactive session! Come prepare to contribute.
Handouts & Materials
No handouts or materials available at this time.
“Name of Session” – session presentation slides (PDF)
Name of Document – lesson sample (PDF)
Name of Document (PDF)
Name of Document – infographic (JPG)
Presenter
Chris Miller
National Consultant for Adult Education and Workforce Development
Ms. Miller’s extensive experience as a presenter spans over 25 years, providing professional development in the field of adult education. She has presented conference presentations and conducted pre-conference workshops on a state, regional, and national level.
Before retiring, she served as a professional development specialist on the state level in Alabama. Last year, in 2025, she presented over 50 presentations in 16 states. She has also worked with several states providing 2-day workshop training lasting six to eight hours for each session.
Breakout26 – MILLER
Page checked or updated: 6/10/2026
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