The Wilson Reading System was designed specifically to encourage literacy skills in adults, with a foundation in phonics and a focus on the six syllable types. Students learn that a closed syllable has one short vowel per syllable and ends in a consonant; that vowel-consonant-e syllables start with a long sounded vowel, then a consonant, then an e; that open syllables have only one, long-sound vowel at the end; that r-controlled syllables have one vowel that is neither short nor long, followed by a controlling r; that the consonant-LE syllable has a consonant and an l that is blended together and a silent e; and that the double-vowel syllable contains two consecutive vowels that make one side, the first usually being long and the second one silent. Adult students can learn these patterns and anticipate how the vowel will sound and how the word will be pronounced.
Theories include methods of decoding words through analysis. Word analysis focuses on having adult learners sound out words they don't recognize on sight, decoding each word component in order from left to right. Some theories focus on having the students identify syllables in a word by tapping them out as beats, with one beat per finger. This helps adult learners decode word elements and provides them an additional tool for sounding out words.
The Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic-Tactile, or VAKT, theory teaches adult students how to read phonetically irregular words with "sight reading," a system of memorization through visualization. The instructor identifies for students words that must be read this way. Students look at a word, say the name of each letter, trace the letters in the air and then attempt to spell it on paper.
Ashley Hager, a teacher at the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, MA, likes to begin with teaching adult literacy students to read words with several syllables early on. This gives students a sense of accomplishment and encouragement, which is important for adult students who have experienced a lifetime of learning failure.
Behavioral theories on adult literacy education focus on observable patterns over thought processes. Behavioral theorists center their lesson plans on developing behavioral objectives, skill development training and competency-based education.