Sample Activity

Adult Development

4. Four Adult Development Theories (40 minutes)

• Explain that the next activity is also based on the reading, which they were assigned to read for today. The deeper their understanding of the material, the richer the “live Likert scale” discussions will most likely be.

• Arrangement. Place three signs up on the walls. On one wall, “AGREE,” on the opposite wall, “DISAGREE,” and on the back wall, “NOT SURE.” Next ask everyone to stand up, moving chairs if necessary so that people can easily move around the room.

• Directions. Explain that this activity is purely for promoting discussion and that there are no right or wrong answers. Read each statement aloud twice. Participants will listen to the statement and then move to the sign that corresponds to how they feel about the statement: AGREE, DISAGREE, or NOT SURE.

After participants have identified their position, ask each group to explain their selection to the others. Participants may move to a different location if they alter their opinion while listening to the reasoning of others. Continue this process for each of the following statements.

Agree

Disagree

Not Sure

• Statements.
  
  

Statements:

When alphabetics are part of beginning reading instruction, reading achievement may increase.

Beginning adult readers may have better sight word knowledge than phonemic awareness.

Specific teaching strategies may include

Past behavior predicts future behavior…People’s personalities are a series of habits…Each set of facts builds on previous knowledge and this addition of knowledge can be accomplished with various types of reinforcement.

Learners’ receptiveness to information may be based on their life stage or time of transition.

Adult development cannot be understood apart from the sociohistorical context in which it occurs…Sociocultural elements such as race, class, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation influence adult development.

The life course is composed of changes on several levels across time. Changes in each follow their own timetable. Spiritual growth is an integral component to adult development.

(These statements are excerpted from “ Four Adult Development Theories and Their Implications for Practice” by Lisa M. Baumgartner from Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue B, October, 2001.)