Resource webpage:

• VALRC Resource Guide for New Instructors: This online guide provides information for instructors who are new to adult education in Virginia and may also be useful for returning instructors. The resources connect instructors to the field of adult education and provide information on quality instruction for the adult education context.

Self-Paced Trainings:

• Adult Education in Virginia (1 hour): This self-paced tutorial provides an overview of adult education, and was created as a resource for teachers, staff, and partners who want to learn more about the field of adult education in Virginia.
• COMING SOON: Understanding Virginia’s Adult Education & Literacy Assessment Policy (1 hour): The purpose of this self-paced tutorial is to familiarize the participant with the assessment section of the Assessment Policy and Distance Education Policy for Virginia Adult Education & Literacy Programs.

These trainings and tip sheets provide resources and strategies for implementing high-quality instruction for blended, distance, and standards-based instruction. 

Self-Paced Trainings:

• Distance Education Blended Learning Attendance Models (1 hour) (Module 1 of 2): A self-paced tutorial designed to inform distance and/or blended learning instructors, administrators, and data staff about the core concepts of blended learning and the different time-tracking models for collecting and reporting student attendance data.
• Distance Education Overview of Blended Learning (1 hour) (Module 2 of 2): A self-paced tutorial that provides information about blended learning classroom instruction and its required components so that teachers and instructional leaders can increase their facility with this type of instruction and improve student performance in a blended learning setting.
• CCRS 101: Standards Overview (0.5 hours): A self-paced tutorial that focuses on identifying adult education standards, understanding Virginia’s definition of standards-based instruction, and answering some frequently asked questions about instructional standards.
• CCRS 102: Observation Tools (0.5 hours): A self-paced tutorial that focuses on understanding the five core actions of the CCR Observation Tools and how these tools describe standards-aligned classroom practices.

Additional Resource:

• ​​Quality Teaching Online Resources and Tips: Resources and tips that provide guidance to support programs and instructors in implementing quality teaching online.

Resource webpages:

• Reading: Featured Instructional Resources
• Writing: Featured Instructional Resources 

Self-Paced Trainings:

• Science of Reading Overview (2 hours): This webinar recording presents a basic overview of the science of reading and effective reading instruction, including alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Science of Reading Self-Paced Course (10 hours): This self-paced tutorial contains five modules and presents a basic overview of the science of reading and effective reading instruction, including alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Disabilities and the Adult Learner Webinar Series, Session 2: Instructional strategies for working with adults with disabilities (1.5 hours): This webinar recording discusses instructional strategies for working with adults with disabilities, with a focus on incorporating evidence-based strategies into reading instruction.
• Lessons from the Field with Steven Reid: ESOL Basics with Preliterate Adult Learners (1.5 hours): English language learners who come to the U.S. with no literacy in their first language have unique struggles in learning English. This webinar helps educators understand what these learners are going through and provides tips and ideas for creating lessons for students who speak no English and are not literate in any other language.
• ESOL Beginning Literacy: Contextualized Phonics (1 hour): This webinar recording presents strategies for contextualizing phonics instruction in the ESOL beginning literacy or multilevel classroom as well as during one-on-one tutoring sessions.
• ESOL Beginning Literacy: Language Experience Approach (1.5 hours): This webinar recording presents strategies for utilizing the language experience approach (LEA) in the ESOL educational setting as a strategy for integrating all four components of reading–alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension–into instruction. 
  • Language Experience Approach Resources 
• Advancing Alphabetics (2 hours): This webinar recording explores how systematic phonics instruction supports an effective reading program, using the Evidence-Based Reading Instruction (EBRI) Observation Tool for educator growth.
• Purposeful Reading for English language learners: This resource is designed to present standards-based instruction for preparing ELLs for purposeful reading, engaging ELLs in purposeful reading, and extending purposeful reading for ELLs.
• Pre-Literacy Activities for Emerging English Language Learners (1 hour): This webinar covers defining literacy and literacy learners, essential pre-literacy skills, and practical activities and strategies for developing pre-literacy skills in the ESOL classroom.

Additional Resources:

• Science of Reading Resource Folder: This google folder contains curated resources for the science of reading, including assessments and each component of reading (alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). 
• ESOL Literacy Instruction Toolkit: This resource offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL instructors and programs better understand and address literacy instruction for English language learners.

Resource webpage and website:

• Adults with {Dis}abilities: Featured Instructional Resources
• Teaching Across the Board: This website provides adult education program leadership, staff, and instructors with information, instructional strategies, resources, and accommodations for providing access to effective adult education for all learners seeking adult education opportunities. 

Self-Paced Trainings:

• Access-Oriented Education for Adult Educators (1 hour): A self-paced tutorial designed to provide a brief overview of the importance of providing education to all learners.
• An Introduction to Helping Learners Cope with Stress (1 hour): A self-paced tutorial that introduces a working overview of this topic.
• Five Components of Accessibility (1 hour): A self-paced tutorial about the five main components of accessibility. These components include: color-contrast, hyperlinks, alt-text, tables, and headings.
• Disabilities and the Adult Learner: This three part webinar series includes the following topics (click on the topic to access the webinar recording): 
  • An introduction to working with adults with {dis}abilities (1.5 hours) 
  • Instructional strategies for working with adults with {dis}abilities (1.5 hours) 
  • Making content accessible (1.5 hours)
• Teaching with Care: Effective Approaches for Adult Education Instruction (45 min): This webinar recording is designed to provide adult education instructors with effective instructional strategies for a responsive practice.

Additional Resource:

• Social and Emotional Learning for Adult Multilingual Learners Toolkit: This resource offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and integrate social-emotional learning into the adult English language classroom.

Resource webpage:

• English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Featured Instructional Resources

Self-Paced Trainings:

• ESOL Foundations (2 hours): A self-paced tutorial designed to introduce or reintroduce adult educators and practitioners to foundational adult English language instructional tenets, practices, and strategies
• Lesson Planning for Adult ESOL Instruction (2 hours): A self-paced tutorial that supports adult educators and practitioners in developing effective lesson plans for adult ESOL instruction that support language acquisition and prioritize learner needs, goals, and engagement.
• Multilevel ESOL Webinar Series: This 3 part webinar series will present strategies for effective multi-level instruction and planning for ESOL classes or multi-level classrooms.
  • Part 1 (40 min)
  • Part 2 (40 min)
  • Part 3 (1 hour)
• Lessons from the Field with Steven Reid: ESOL Basics with Preliterate Adult Learners (1.5 hours): English language learners who come to the U.S. with no literacy in their first language have unique struggles in learning English. This webinar helps educators understand what these learners are going through and provides tips and ideas for creating lessons for students who speak no English and are not literate in any other language.
• ESOL Beginning Literacy: Contextualized Phonics (1 hour): This webinar recording presents strategies for contextualizing phonics instruction in the ESOL beginning literacy or multilevel classroom as well as during one-on-one tutoring sessions.
• ESOL Beginning Literacy: Language Experience Approach (1.5 hours): This webinar recording presents strategies for utilizing the language experience approach (LEA) in the ESOL educational setting as a strategy for integrating all four components of reading–alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension–into instruction. 
  • Language Experience Approach Resources 
• Pre-Literacy Activities for Emerging English Language Learners (1 hour): This webinar covers defining literacy and literacy learners, essential pre-literacy skills, and practical activities and strategies for developing pre-literacy skills in the ESOL classroom.

Additional Resources:

• Purposeful Reading for English language learners: This resource is designed to present standards-based instruction for preparing ELLs for purposeful reading, engaging ELLs in purposeful reading, and extending purposeful reading for ELLs.
• Health Literacy Toolkit: This resource offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and address the health literacy challenges faced by adult English language learners in U.S. healthcare.
• Social and Emotional Learning for Adult Multilingual Learners Toolkit: This resource offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and integrate social-emotional learning into the adult English language classroom.
• ESOL Literacy Instruction Toolkit: This resource offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL instructors and programs better understand and address literacy instruction for English language learners.

Resources:

• Civics Instruction Resource Page
• IELCE Instructional Resources 
• Election Education Resources

Resources:

• The IET Blueprint: This Integrated Education and Training (IET) blueprint is a comprehensive tool for programs that are looking to design, strengthen, and scale quality career pathways programs that integrate academic and literacy skills, workforce preparation activities, and occupational training through simultaneous co-enrollment in adult education and postsecondary education and training.
  • Designing and Reporting new MSGs Recorded Tutorial (VDOE) [9:06]
  • IET to Careers: What’s next? Supporting Learners beyond the IET: Find resources to help adult students continue on their career pathway through and beyond the adult education. Know what Virginia has made available in scholarships, financial aid packages, and registered apprenticeships to support learners in their transitions to further education, additional training and credentials, and career advancement. 
  • Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) resource page on the IET Blueprint includes resources and guidance on implementing IELCE activities and programming as well as supporting learners and providing wrap-around services.
  • Workplace Literacy resources: Workplace adult education and literacy is a programming model offered in collaboration with an employer or employee organization at a workplace or an off-site location that is designed to improve the productivity of the workforce. Read on for program design considerations and resources. 
• Career Pathways Resources: Career Pathways are a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services that align with the skills needs of industries in a state or regional economy. They prepare an individual to be successful in a full range of secondary or postsecondary education, including Registered Apprenticeships. (Cielinksi, 2019)  
• Workforce Preparation Resources: Workforce preparation is an essential component of integrated education and training programs (IET), and it is a valuable addition to any adult education course offering. As many classes and training programs transition to distance learning models, workforce preparation activities become increasingly important to support learners as they become more independent and self-directed in their learning. This page contains programmatic and instructional resources and guidance for workforce preparation activities. 

Curriculum Examples:

• Job Club: Each of the four Job Club modules included here covers an aspect of the job preparation, application, and retention processes. These have been developed as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center (VALRC). Each module is available below in English and in Spanish. 
• Bridge to Science Careers Curriculum: The Bridge to Science Careers is a stand-alone curriculum designed to successfully transition adult learners into higher education and training in career fields related to the sciences, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology, and health careers. The eight content modules are grounded in foundational science concepts, introducing experimental design and the scientific method, dimensional analysis and measurement conversion, classification of matter, and chemical reactions. The modules include comprehensive learning scaffolds to support learners across a range of reading skill levels, with support for English learners.  

The terms mathematics and numeracy can be used interchangeably, although “numeracy” tends to be used when the focus is on applying math and mathematical thinking in everyday life situations. Both mathematics and numeracy require knowledge and skill with math procedures as well as critical thinking, problem solving, and quantitative reasoning.

Find resources for standards-based math instruction here.