Case study

Jen is a mother of three young children, one aged five and twins aged seven. She has a part-time job in a food packaging factory. As a child she was frequently absent from school, and left with no qualifications and limited literacy skills. Soon after, she had the twins.

She is able to read only the basic messages she needs to cope day to day, and struggles to write her name and address for basic form filling.

Her tutor has followed some of the assessment procedures for environmental print and Jen demonstrated limited sight recognition of a narrow range of signs.

Teaching suggestions for Jen

• Use packaging and advertising from the food products she packs at work, particularly at times when her tasks change and she will need to learn new words.
• Encourage her to go on sign walks with her children, and make flashcards later (the children could draw the signs).
• Make a photo record of environmental print in her neighbourhood, then further afield. Use these to extend her repertoire of familiar words.
• Ask Jen to describe the places she would like to visit or needs to find, then find or make signs that will help her. For example, make or photograph signs that will help her navigate into the city and find a specific place.