Answers May Vary

1) Answers May Vary (AMV) Facilitator’s Manual (2016) is a training resource for agency administrators, supervisors and literacy coordinators on how to work with adults with developmental disabilities to improve their literacy and essential skills. The Manual provides strategies and concrete ideas based on the Answers May Vary Guidebook, Answers May Vary Tutorial Videos and the Community Support Worker Training: How to build literacy and essential skills learning into daily life for adults with developmental disabilities pilot training sessions.

The Manual includes:

Answers May Vary Facilitator’s Manual – Handouts, Master Materials and Equipment List 

Answers May Vary Facilitator’s Manual – Supplemental Resources 

Answers May Vary Facilitator’s Manual Powerpoint

Audio files have been created to be downloaded as literacy prompts for tutors or community support workers who are new to the adult literacy. These files have been taken directly from Answers May Vary Guidebook, Chapter 2 ‘Strategies to Build Literacy and Essential Skills into Daily Life’. Click links below for audio.

Assisted Reading , Chunking Reading , Effective Practices , KWL Learning Strategy , LEAP Language Experience , RAP Reading Strategy

 2) Answers May Vary Guidebook: Incorporating Literacy & Other Essential Skills into Daily Life for Adults with Disabilities (2015). We took the results from the Research report, plus interviews with teachers and additional tutors at Bow Valley College, and created an easy to read guidebook that gives concrete instructions about how to incorporate literacy and other skills building activities into the daily life of an adult with a developmental disability.

 3) Answers May Vary Research Report: Literacy Strategies, Resources, and Effective Practices for Adult Learners with Developmental Disabilities (2014). We interviewed tutors who work with adults with disabilities about the strategies, resources and effective practices they use when helping learners, working at International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) level one, improve their reading and writing skills. The research revealed common themes that resonate with adult learning principles: use daily life materials and/or learner’s experiences, use positive encouragement, work from learner goals—be learner centered, and make learning fun. 

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[1] Erikson, K., Koppenhaver, D., & Yoder, D. (1994). Literacy and adults with developmental disabilities. p. 1. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED377340.pdf