Purchase a book or become familiar with any of the many websites that offer information for how to properly use APA style formatting. The adult may not have access to a computer, so a book would be a better choice for him.
Teach the cover page format, reference page format and overall format for an APA style paper. The cover page should include the paper's title, the adult's name and her school. The adult should write her paper in 12-point Times New Roman font, double space the lines and bold any headings. She should include headers on each page, which include the paper's title on the left and the page number on the right. She should put the references in alphabetical order. Let the adult practice preparing a cover page and reference page.
Teach the different types of internal and reference page APA citations, including journal article citations, book citations and website citations.
Since there are many different types of citations, it may take some time to get used to the correct citation format, but practice will help make it a quicker process. Let him try to write or type all of the citations himself.
Attend a workshop either online or in person at the local college or library. Depending on the adult's learning style, she may have a hard time teaching herself from a book. An instructor teaching her APA style may be a better route to take. Be sure to choose an instructor that is certified to teach APA formatting. The instructor will be there to answer any difficult questions that the adult may have about APA formatting.