The Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies, better known as PIAAC, developed a numeracy assessment framework that was used internationally to assess adults' numeracy skills. The assessment gauged adults' (aged 16-65 years) numeracy skills across a full range, from adults with very low levels of numeracy to college level math…

Building effective partnership with parents of young children with language delays has strong face value and is supported by multiple areas of research; however, building and maintaining partnerships to optimize child outcomes in practice can be difficult. This article provides a guide to teachers and speech-language pathologists who work with…

"Making Sense of Decoding and Spelling: An Adult Reading Course of Study" is an evidence-based course of study designed to teach adult learners to decode and spell words more accurately and fluently. It is designed to be used as one component of a comprehensive adult reading course. The target population for the course is adult basic education…

Distance education is enabling individuals to earn college and graduate degrees, professional certificates, and a wide range of skills and credentials. In addition to the expanding role of distance learning in higher education, all types of organizations now offer web-based training courses to employees, clients, and other associates. In this…

Photonovels look like comic books but contain photographs instead of drawings. Because photonovels combine pictures and everyday language, adult ESL learners can use them to communicate their thoughts and ideas. Photonovels can also be an aid in learning spoken and written English. This article describes a photonovel project that one of the…

Taking a critical, research-oriented perspective, this exploration of the theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical connections between the reading and teaching of young adult literature and adolescent identity development centers around three key questions: (1) Who are the teens reading young adult literature?; (2) Why should teachers teach young…

A basic premise of social approaches to studying communication is that theories of interpersonal communication and personal relationships are reflexively defined, socially constructed, and historically situated. In contrast to the tradition of psychological models of relational processes and message transmission, social approaches encourage…

This training guide was created by the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) to help connect research and practice in the field of adult education and family literacy. A Health and Adult Literacy and Learning (HALL)/NCSALL Health Literacy Study Circle+ is a professional development activity for adult basic education…

Describes how the author came to love poetry, and how she taught a poetry unit with an adult literacy class. Argues that poetry is a way of taking literacy "by the throat." (SR)

Young people often have their first brush with credit when they leave home to start work or enter college. It is important to teach students about credit early, before they turn 18 and become eligible to sign up for credit cards in their own name. Credit poses risks for the unwary, and many young people get burned. They may pay high annual…

Describes how three tutors helped an adult progress from a nonreader to a competent and enthusiastic reader, using an approach rooted in whole-language research and practice. (SR)

Discusses the different categories of literacy needs and gives suggestions on materials selection for literacy classes. (EKN)

Describes, in a case study, how a functionally illiterate adult coped with the disabling effects of not being able to read and how, once he was involved in an educational therapy program, his attitude toward reading, his self-esteem, interpersonal relationships, coping strategies, and actual progress in reading were influenced by the treatment.…

This report describes a project to develop a tutor training model for teaching adults who manifested signs of learning disabilities. A needs assessment was done by surveying previously trained tutors. Existing adult literacy materials and instructional materials specifically developed for individuals with learning disabilities were reviewed and…

Describes a writing workshop for the elderly, discussing the composition of the group, what they wrote, and how they went about doing so. Offers some specific strategies and recommendations, including catalysts for writing. Describes two ways that elders shared their stories, wit, and wisdom with the wider community. (SR)