Is it possible for an adult to learn how to read/write?

Question

A friend of mine just confided in me that he can't read or write. He is 34 years old. He told me that he has memorized how to spell and read certain basic words but as far as spelling anything new or reading a word that he hasn't seen before, he can't do it. Basically, he said he doesn't understand how to put letters together to make words or how to sound something out.

This is really hindering him because he's a very smart guy. I never would have known that he couldn't read or write if he hadn't said anything. He is a hard worker and had the opportunity to move up to a management position but had to turn it down because he would have to write and read on a daily basis. He also wants to go to college but obviously this is holding him back.

Is there a possibility that he could be taught how to read & write or is he too old to learn the basics of phonology and language? Who could he contact that could help him? Any organizations? He lives in Michigan.

Thanks.

Answer 1

My mother was in her early 40's when she learnt to read and I was 14 when I learnt to read, at the time we did not know it was dyslexia.

When my daughter was diagnosed, I was diagnosed as having dyslexia too, it then dawned on me that was why my mother I could not read or write.

So yes your friend most certainly can learn to read with a little patience, and a caring supportive teacher.

I would contact a adult education center and ask if they have any adult literacy programs, that start at the most basic level.

In the mean time buy some alphabet magnets and teach him the order of the letters and the sound of each letter. I would also print off a copy of the most common spelling mistakes, and frequently confused words (which get me all the time) and read through them with him.

Also handy is spelling rules such as I before E except after C (I only learnt this a few years ago). Homophones is handy too, as it is not unusual to confuse similar sounding words such weather/ whether.

I hope the links below help, and the last links will give a list of adult education centers, some maybe centers for the disabled adult, so you will need to sort through them.

Good luck

Answer 2

He could check to see if his local community college has a literacy program.Or, you could help him--the problem with some beginning readers will be that they don't seem "relevant" to an adult.

Answer 3

Yes, it is just easier in the earlier years of life when the brain is easily influenced and basic life skills are aquired more easily.

However, it is still possible for an adult to learn languages (reading and writing). Think back. In high school, did you take a foreign language? Chances are that you did and it wasn't only oral. Teaching an adult how to read and write, of course, would be much different to teaching a child how to write, as the brain is fully developed, (and of course, you can't spank them when they are naughty - just kidding.)

Here's a center:

http://www.internationalcenter.umich.edu...

It is the University of Michigan International Center, aimed to teach children AND adults English in reading, writing, and speaking. They can even incorporate it into his intrests like music, nature, gardening, arts and crafts, health, etc.

It may be a bit pricy, I'm not sure how much, but you'll need to follow into it. (or him, rather.)

It is NEVER too late. As time progresses, you just have to learn to accommodate for certain situations you are in. Nothing should ever hold you back from doing what feels right for you as a person. You need to tell him this.

Answer 4

You could try helping him to begin with. like be his tutor.

i had a friend like this. She was only about 18-20 at the time. But it's never too late to learn.

I started with buying her the workbooks you can get for children in some of the bookshops.  They're the ones which the children do at home.  I asked her to find the one she thought she could do and then we worked from there.

She'd go off and do the pages herself and then I'd do any corrections which needed to be done. You need to explain what the corrections are for. Basically what they have done wrong.

You could also try contacting a local community college or neighbourhood learning centre to find out if they have any literacy classes.  The council may also have an idea of what types of classes are available in their area.

Answer 5

there was a recent thing in the news about a TEACHER who recently learned to read at age 72 or something. Um...you could start him out the way we all did, with the basics. I'm not sure about any organizations though. SMART(start makign a reader today) targets elementary school children to learn that reading is fun...but Im not sure if he could join. Good Luck

Answer 6

if you have a community college or adult basic education center near your area they are a great place to start, a lot of times you can get grants for the programs- which one of their counselors would be able to tell you about-my mom didn't even realize that she could not read until she was 23- she is still not a great reader/ writer- but she managed to get a baccelors in accounting- and is now a legislative auditor, so she at least leared to read good enough to get by

Answer 7

yes. He can work with a speech pathologist and learn. You can find one at www.asha.org

Answer 8

an old dog can always learn new tricks