Header Links
Teach and Transition
Transition programs play a critical role in the lives of young adult Learners with Interrupted Formal Education (LIFE). LIFE are acquiring language and literacy skills at the same time and need responsive post high school options that focus on the academic requirements of further education.
Angela’s story illustrates that programs with a holistic approach provide an accessible pathway to further education. This stage outlines the process we use in the Bridge program to develop curriculum that responds to needs and transitions learners.
Build an Effective Curriculum
- Put outcomes at the centre of your program.
- Monitor outcomes to ensure that they remain effective in helping learners develop the necessary skills for their own academic and career goals.
- Choose high-interest, age-appropriate themes, content and resources.
- Focus on regular and explicit strategy instruction.
- Integrate Essential Skills into the curriculum and use project-based learning to teach Essential Skills.
Ensure Quality Instruction
- Keep outcomes in focus at all times for both learners and instructors.
- Make explicit connections for learners.
- Use integrated skills instruction.
- Use content as a vehicle for language and literacy development.
- Keep learners engaged and motivated.
- Recruit a qualified, well-balanced, flexible team.
- Structure the program so learners are taught in small groups.
- Recognize that these learners demand more attention, support, and classroom management than other learners.
Focus on Assessment
- Commit to regular ongoing assessment in class.
- Create assessments such as screening tests, pre-tests, mid-term tests and post-tests.
- Create marking rubrics that identify what is being assessed.
- Teach learner self-evaluation.
- Use portfolios to demonstrate learner progress.
- Have regular meetings with learners at transition points to communicate progress on outcomes.
Help Learners Move On
- Make the transition process transparent.
- Establish transition times during the program that coincide with unit or semester breaks.
- Offer information sessions for current learners nearing the end of their program time.
- Help learners understand funding requirements and application processes for their future programs.
- Develop an alumni group.
For more information, please refer to Bridging the Gap: A Framework for Teaching and Transitioning Low Literacy Immigrant Youth.
