Can't Read Can't Write - Adult Illiteracy

[screenexile]

Has anyone been watching this programme on Channel 4?

Award winning teacher Phil Beadle has taken on 9 illiterate adults with the aim to get them reading and writing within 6 months.

I've watched the first 2 episodes and have to say I was completely shocked as to the extent of illiteracy in some adults. Some people have skated by for years without so much as being able to read the label on a packet of ham. One woman broke down when she attempted to do the shopping for her family yet she had raised 6 kids without being able to read or write.

Another is a suburban housewife who on the face of things is very articulate and is familiar with a lot of literary works cannot read or write anything and her knowledge has been gleaned from audiobooks and life experience.

The show also highlights the fact that the curriculum in place for adults with literacy problems is totally inadequate and provides more for English as a second language to teach to non nationals rather than adults who speak English but cannot recognise it or write it down. Beadle has pretty much developed his own curriculum and after 4 weeks had most of the class reading some kind of book.

Anyway watching some of them make the transition to not recognising words to now being able to write their own poems and sonnets is amazing and I'm sure there will be more twists and turns before the end of it. If you haven't been watching it then have a look at it next week it's fascinating!

[An Fear Rua]

Ive been watching it, hes a very dedicated man indeed. That woman crying all the time is both heartwrenching( and at the same time f**king annoying), I feel most "sorry"(?) for the lad in the england gear , if what he says about coming home from school and no one was interested in helping him do his homework. Thats a horrible rejection for a child to suffer, and I dare say there are many more in a similar position up and down britain whos parents are too distracted by the WKD and Lambert and Butler lifestyle.

[screenexile]

Agree with that TYP... That lady that AFR is on about is a case in point... she had no visual learning skills whatsoever but when things are changed around and she's able to learn kinesthetically she was able to get a real handle on it and do well. It's just nor practical for teachers to alter their materials and focus kinesthetic learning on one pupil like that in a normal classroom environment. I'm sure a lot of people believe that all this kinesthetic and visual learning is a load of crap but just looking at her case would change a lot of people's minds.

She's right annoying though during the lessons and I thought he kept his cool pretty well last nigt, the weird thing is she's very articulate whenever she speaks to the camera which is very strange considering she isn't well read. It just shows how well people can hide the fact that they can't read!

[An Fear Rua]

Agree with that TYP... That lady that AFR is on about is a case in point... she had no visual learning skills whatsoever but when things are changed around and she's able to learn kinesthetically she was able to get a real handle on it and do well. It's just nor practical for teachers to alter their materials and focus kinesthetic learning on one pupil like that in a normal classroom environment. I'm sure a lot of people believe that all this kinesthetic and visual learning is a load of crap but just looking at her case would change a lot of people's minds.

She's right annoying though during the lessons and I thought he kept his cool pretty well last nigt, the weird thing is she's very articulate whenever she speaks to the camera which is very strange considering she isn't well read. It just shows how well people can hide the fact that they can't read!

She annoyed me when she was complaining about being able to read shop signs when she was out walking, her world had been invaded.........!!