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Since four out of five of the New York State TASC exams are based on reading, I assign extensive reading and discussion, as well as strategies for answering multiple-choice questions. In addition to a textbook, I make copies of readings that emphasize the students’ history—beginning with Columbus to African slavery--and current issues in their communities.  \nKeywords: adult education; GED; TASC; segregation; discrimination  \nFor the past 5 years, I have been teaching writing in a high school equivalency program that is funded by the State of New York and is based in Harlem. This program prepares adult students for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), which, in addition to a 50-minute essay, has reading, mathematics, social studies, and science components. My purpose in this article is to illustrate the importance of writing prompts that are truly relevant to learners because they have the potential to engage them and increase their interest in writing. In this way, their skill development can be supported through motivated practice.  \nClass Overview  \nI have intermediate level students in my writing class. After reading their first essays, I learn that they have a broad range of skills in terms of grammar, spelling, organization, and ability  \nto express their thoughts and feelings on paper. Particularly in the case of students who have been out of school for many years, their essays are often one or two paragraphs long, their English grammar is weak, and many have a writing\"block\" that I have to understand in order to help them become confident writers. At the other end of the skill continuum, students write fluidly with few errors, and they are able to craft thoughtful essays that are between one and two pages long.  \nFacing these pedagogical challenges, in the course of a semester my goals are three-fold: to teach essential writing skills that have not been covered in the sub-standard high schools that my students have dropped out of; to prepare them to pass the challenging writing section of the TASC; and to empower them to freely express important thoughts and feelings about their life experiences, including why they dropped out  \nCorrespondence: [dpugh@mindspring.com](dpugh@mindspring.com) 35  \nof high school. As the semester advances and I receive more essays, I am better able to assess and help each student learn new writing skills and self-expression strategies.  \nMost of the students in this program come from Harlem and the Bronx. They are working class African-Americans, Latinx and recent immigrants. Students range in age from 18 to 60, but the majority are in their 20s. They share the experience of leaving high school before graduation for a variety of reasons. Since then, most have entered the workforce and some have families. My students’ reasons for signing up for this program include going to the 2-year community colleges of the City University of New York, finding jobs that pay more than minimum wage and helping their children with their schoolwork. Keeping their goals in mind allows me to help my students develop stronger writing skills.  \nOn a scale of Level 1 to 4, I have been teaching intermediate Level 2 students. The writing work that I have developed for the Monday-Thursday day program is described below, including samples of insightful and moving student work from a recent semester.  \nThe pedagogical method that I follow is to provide essay topics that encourage my students to draw on their rich life experiences, while they practice and improve their wri","cbCaivJTepv4QWAB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivJTepv4QWAB","pdf",92583,"English","# Report from the Field\n## Teaching Writing Strategies for Adult Literacy Students\n## Class Overview and Learner Profiles\n## Goals and Pedagogical Method\n## Writing Assignments and TASC Essay Practice","[{\"question\":\"What writing strategies does the author emphasize for adult literacy students?\",\"answer\":\"The author emphasizes writing prompts that are truly relevant to learners, extensive reading and discussion, and practice outlining responses before writing. Templates guide students’ introductions, supporting paragraphs, and conclusions.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the program’s class structure support students?\",\"answer\":\"Small classes enable broad discussions, peer learning, and meaningful feedback when students volunteer to read their essays. Regular in-class and homework essay assignments allow for iterative correction and detailed comments.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the main purpose of the article?\",\"answer\":\"The article illustrates why relevant writing prompts matter, showing how motivated practice can support skill development and strengthen learners’ ability to write for the TASC essay component.\"}]","Teaching Writing to Adult Literacy Students from Harlem and the Bronx | PDF",1792066563,15]