Background information

From their work with young beginning readers, various researchers have drawn conclusions that we might reasonably assume will apply to adult learners who have had few experiences with print and the conventions of printed texts. These conclusions include the following:⁴⁴

• Books are put together according to a set of conventions that can be understood without being able to read.⁴⁵
• Knowing the conventions of print aids the learner in the process of learning to read.⁴⁶
• Learners need to know the mechanics of print in order to be readers.⁴⁷
• Concepts about print knowledge may facilitate subsequent reading-related skills.⁴⁸

Learners who come from an oral tradition and who have not grown up with print around them may need to be taught some or all of these concepts explicitly (see ‘Knowing what to do’).