Using the Toolbox Series for Literacy With Adult Struggling Readers

The aim of the present study was to improve basic literacy skills for three underperforming adults using the Toolbox Series for Literacy (Maloney, Brearley, & Preece, 2002) programme that combines Direct Instruction (DI), Precision Teaching (PT) and behaviour management techniques. Both DI and PT methods have been used to remediate reading difficulties with children, but rarely with adult struggling readers. Intervention consisted of 36 hours of one-to-one tuition for three adults with deficit literacy skills using a pre-post measures single case design. Results yielded increases in reading performance measured using continuous progress assessments in each participant. Two of the three participants made at least one level gain between pre- and post-test on the norm referenced reading assessment. The results are discussed with consideration to the feasibility of improving the reading ability of adult struggling readers using the Toolbox Series for Literacy.