[header] How to teach adults to read [title] Assess what the reader knows. [step] Start by figuring what letter sounds, or phonemes, the person already knows. That way, you can help fill in where they need help without rehashing what they do know. 
[substeps] Most curriculums have an assessment you can do with students. However, if you need to make your own, make it based on the 6 phoneme tasks.