I want to teach my 70yr old grandmother how to read and write. She has never been formally taught. Help!?

Question

I don't know if I am best equipped for this, but she really needs a basic foundation and she refuses to seek outside help.

Answer 1

Good for you! As long as it's what your grandmother wants....

Start with her name and family member's names- go over how to spell them, the names of each of the letters, and talk about the sounds the letters make- but do it in the context of the people's names so she doesn't feel like she's in kindergarten. I wouldn't spend a huge amount of time on phonics (letter sounds) with your grandmother, but it would be good for her to know the basic letter sounds and the digraphs: ch, sh, th, wh, ck. Practice writing and reading lists of words with these letters in them, then point them out when you are reading together.

Then, find books or magazines meant for upper elementary/ middle school kids that are on topics that she is interested in. Or, if it's just the two of you working together and she is willing, you could go for the little kids' beginning readers, but your grandmother may be bored by those.

As you read together, make lists of words that she is interested in and practice reading them together. You can also find lists of sight words online- just put it into any search engine. These are the words that are most common in the English language and will be the most useful for her to learn. Put them on index cards and play memory together using the cards. Or, just ask her to practice reading the list to you a few times.

You can also put labels up around her house (again, if she is willing) that say "door," etc. so she can become familiar with the words for some everyday objects.

Keep track of what words and skills you have worked on. As she improves, read together and pause when you get to a word that she knows so that she can fill it in for you.

The most important things to keep in mind are: make sure she agrees to this, focus on things that are interesting to her, make it functional (i.e.- don't teach her words she'll never need like "unequivocally"), and, most importantly, practice with her as often as possible but for only about 30 minutes or less at a time.

Good luck!!!!

Answer 2

Is this what you want or what she wants? If she wants to learn go ahead and teach her. If she doesn't, don't worry about it.

She will need to know her letters. She should be able to identify and write all of them. There are some good books in Wal-mart school section for preschoolers. They are good for learning letters.

If she already knows the letters, then start with some simple word lists. Go to the bookstore, in the children's section are books to help children learn to read. These will also be good for helping your Grandmother.

http://www.proliteracy.org/locator/index.asp?uRef=volunteer
Find a literacy program in your area at this web site. You can take the volunteers course from them and they will teach you how to teach your grandmother.

Answer 3

I don't know how to teach someone to write but I helped a friend learn to read by finding out his interests and finding magazines about those things and reading them together. Magazines have captions under pictures and short articles with pictures. This seems to help speed up the process of learning because it holds their interest and doesn't seem demeaning like a primary reader would. It took quite a while but he was never bored so he never stopped.

Answer 4

You said "I want to" teach your grandmother how to read and write. You didn't say "my grand mother wants to..."

Does this mean she really doesn't care but you want her to be able to?

I will never say, 70 year old is too old to learn... but I will say, anyone at any age is unable to learn if the person does not want to learn.

You could perhaps attend the adult education courses with her and help her along. It will require different set of skills to teach adults from children. I doubt you have that skill. But, you may be able to learn that skill by taking the class with her.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Local libraries have many literacy helpers who are trained to help older or foreign visitors to read and write the english language. Call the local library and ask if they have literacy volunteers. My mother-in-law is a retired English prof who does this once a week with two older students. They read and talk and both benefit.

Answer 6

Most "Adult Schools" offer Basic Literacy classes which provide a group environment and so she'll meet others like herself. They're free, too. Contact your local school district for info. Local libraries are also a good bet--and they're free.

Don't try to teach her yourself--it's a job for a teacher qualified to teach adults.

Answer 7

I teach children how to read but don't think the same methods would work for elderly people. Maybe teach her high frequency words first (also called sight words: want, also, again, because, made, etc.)
Good luck! That's very admirable of you.

Answer 8

good for you. teach her. just because she's really old doesn't mean that should stop you from teaching her. my grandfather died at the age of 94 not knowing how to write. it's too bad he never learned.

Answer 9

Maybe you could visit your local literacy council and get some advice. I think it's wonderful that you are going to do this for her.

Answer 10

Mine was the same way.

So I taught her to bungie jump instead.