The Western Australian Adult Literacy Council
The Western Australian Adult Literacy Council (WAALC) was established with the purpose of ensuring that all adult West Australians have the opportunity to develop the literacy and numeracy skills required to actively participate in our increasingly complex society.
We honour their cultures and languages and pay respect to the elders past, present and emerging.
Seasons Greetings
The WAALC Committee wishes you and yours a joyous Festive Season.
We look forward to engaging with you in the New Year
Latest News
Direct instruction - A practical guide to effective teaching
According to research, direct instruction is one of the most effective teaching strategies. Although often misunderstood, students who are taught using the direct instruction method perform better in reading, maths, and spelling than those who weren’t.
If you have no clue what direct instruction is all about, you’ve come to the right place! This post covers the most frequently asked questions about this teaching method.
Digital literacies
The concept of ‘digital literacies’ is defined and understood in many different ways. The perspective which is widely accepted views digital literacies as social practices.
To be digitally literate means to have a rich repertoire of skills, knowledge, understandings and ways of thinking to interpret, create, manage and share meanings through different digital channels, for different purposes, in various contexts and with different audiences.
Jo Medlin teaches adults to read and write
Today, Jo is the president of the president of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy.
Some of her students start their classes without being able to write their weekly shopping list.
Others are motivated to learn so they can write family members a card on their own.
All have to confront their low self-confidence to succeed.
Integrating Digital Tools for Adult Learners: Four Critical Factors
The numbers are staggering — an estimated 36 million adults lack the basic literacy, numeracy, and job skills necessary to find well-paying jobs and navigate public and social systems. What’s more, the number of education programs that serve these adults is woefully low. According to a report from Tyton Partners1, our federal- and state-funded programs have the capacity to serve only about four million of the 36 million.
'Lost For Words' returns for S2, to tackle Australia's low literacy and numeracy levels
Season 2 of this powerful and inspiring documentary premieres Wednesday 12 October at 7.30pm on SBS and SBS On Demand.
The Smith Family Digital Access Program
Our Digital Access approach improves families’ digital inclusion by ensuring all Learning for Life families have access to low cost internet and devices as well as tech support and the knowledge on how to make the most of the technology they have.

Tools for Tutors
Our toolkits are designed to work for informal and formal learning alike.
This part of the toolkit looks at how you can use the learner cards to deliver a formal learning course.
Note: This is an UK Website
BBC Skillswise
A collection of free videos and downloadable worksheets to help adult learners improve reading, writing and numeracy skills.
Cyber and Digital Literacy Resources
Interesting article from UK Website –
Teaching literacy skills to adults
Keep up to date with adult literacy and numeracy in Australia
Here’s three great places to start are:
Australian Council of Adult Literacy
The Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL) publishes a regular free newsletter with news and opinion pieces about adult literacy and numeracy. Add yourself to their email list: you don’t need to be a member of ACAL.
Sign up
FS Teach
FS Teach Facebook page includes quite a lot of news but has the added benefit of hundreds of members across Australia who can answer your questions about foundation skills.
FS Teach Facebook
Adult Learning Australia
Adult Learning Australia offers more generic adult education focused information including webinars, a journal and undertakes an advocacy role.
More