A Conceptual Framework for Teaching Critical Reading to Adult College Students

The proliferation of postsecondary programs for working adults is not surprising, given the importance of a bachelor’s degree to employment and higher earnings. However, the demographics of adult learners have changed significantly over the past 30 years, when degrees for adults targeted a middle-class population. Adults now return to college after years away from school, and many are first-generation college students whose families may be unable to advise or support them in their educational endeavors. Nevertheless, adults bring deep experiential and workplace-related learning to the classroom, which should be validated in educational settings. Increasingly, advanced reading skills are essential to college success, particularly in online courses, which, although convenient for working adults, are heavily text based. This article offers a conceptual framework for incorporating experiential learning into the teaching of critical reading skills to adult college students.