What We Can Do Now to Improve Literacy Services for Adult Learners

Pickard introduces her piece by discussing the hypothetical Daryl, whose needs are not met by the program in which he is enrolled.While Pickard discusses this issue from the perspective of broad policies, I think that for adult learners like Daryl, who are seeking to improve their reading skills and persist until they reach their academic and personal goals, adult basic education programs must implement evidence-based reading instruction (EBRI).What is EBRI?EBRI refers to "practices for teaching the components of reading, grounded in research and professional wisdom" (SABES, n.d., para.2).EBRI strategies support students with struggles, challenges, and learning difficulties-like Daryl.EBRI requires explicit and systematic instruction of reading in the four components of alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.