Adults' Perceptions of their Experiences with the Development of Reading Skills

Many adults with low literacy do not go to college, earn a GED, or graduate from high school. There is little research on adults' perceptions of how prior reading experiences impacted their literacy development. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify the perceptions and experiences of adults regarding reading experiences. This study filled a gap in the literature and determined how adults describe their reading experiences and beliefs concerning previous reading experiences and skills. To recruit potential participants for this study, a purposive sampling strategy was used of adults attending GED programs at a community college in the southern United States who struggled with developing reading skills. The sample size for this study was five participants, which was the number required for data saturation to be reached. Six main themes and fifteen subthemes were identified, which revealed participants' perceptions and experiences of prior participation in instructional learning events with reading, and their beliefs about the effect these experiences had on their current reading skills, literacy, and self-perception. The findings of this study indicated a need to increase vocabulary and comprehension among low literate adults.