Practice Reading: Overview

Lesson 2: Overview

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Overview

The GCFLearnFree.org Reading program was created to introduce learners to 1,000 common English words through a series of activities and exercises. Because not everyone learns the same way, these tools address a variety of learning styles.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 18% of Americans who took the 2012 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) assessment scored at or below literacy Level 1, the level required for basic functional literacy. This means roughly 56 million Americans may have difficulty decoding words, understanding words in context, making low-level inferences, or combining information from different parts of a digital document. Our goal is to help these individuals reach a higher level of literacy and be better able to navigate everyday literacy tasks.

The Reading program was originally developed for adult native English speakers to practice literacy skills. However, we realized that many non-native English speakers could also use our learning tools. With that in mind, we created two learning paths:

A Literacy program designed to help adults develop stronger reading skills
An English Language Learning program meant to help non-native English speakers practice vocabulary and improve reading comprehension

Because our Reading activities were created specifically for adult learners, not all of the Reading program content will be appropriate for or accessible to children. That’s not to say that this program cannot be used with younger learners—we just recommend that service providers review activities prior to their use in the classroom.

To learn more about the Reading program and how it’s designed, watch the video below.