The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of morphological instruction on language and literacy outcomes by synthesizing 92 standardized mean differences (d) from 30 independent studies. Findings show a moderate overall effect of morphological instruction ([d-bar] = 0.32), suggesting that children receiving morphological instruction…

Literacy should be viewed as a continuum of undereducation, stretching from those who cannot read and write at all at the low end to those who have less than a high school education at the high end. People at different points have different needs, which may differ greatly from those current literacy programs try to meet. The track record of…

Experiences with family and intergenerational programs in English Second Language (ESL) literacy are reviewed, and factors that contribute to their success are discussed. It is suggested that as the notion of literacy expands, conceptual boundaries of the population of learners must expand also. While there is much to be learned from existing…

A discussion of the literacy education needs of the Hispanic community in the United States provides a profile of the Hispanic population and offers a plan of action for educational programming. At 7 million, the illiterate Hispanic population comprises one-third of functionally illiterate Americans. This subgroup is diverse, with as much as half…

In 2002-03, a qualitative case study explored the perspectives of 70 stakeholders connected to two community-based adult literacy programs in Manitoba, Canada. Four themes emerged from within-case and cross-case analyses of the data: program design, human relations, community context, and financial support. Instructor-learner and learner-learner…

This document presents the view that for teaching and learning written language, teachers and students in bilingual education programs must have autonomy and must be able to appropriately account for local conditions. Upper-level government policies should be broad, non-specific, and linked to appropriate general goals. Diverse and complex local…

Many older Canadians (almost half, by some surveys) have low levels of functional literacy that lead to problems with everyday life. More than half of Canadians over age 55 have less than a grade 9 education, and they often have lower incomes than more literate seniors. However, older people are the smallest group represented in adult basic…

Language minority students can be served effectively by schools that are organized to develop educational structures and processes that take into consideration both the broader attributes of effective schooling practices and the specific attributes relevant to language minority students. Effective classrooms exemplify instructional strategies that…

This literature review observes that (1) there is an increasing need for enhancing job literacy skills among workers; (2) workplace literacy programs cover both basic literacy and job-related technical training; (3) successful curricula use job-related tasks and materials; and (4) management needs to be heavily involved and committed if a program…

After an analysis of eight mass literacy campaigns (USSR 1919-39; Vietnam, 1945-77; China, 1950-58; Cuba, 1961; Burma, 1960-1981; Brazil, 1967-80; Tanzania, 1971-81; and Somalia, 1973-75), a campaign strategy for a mass literacy campaign is proposed. A potentially successful mass literacy campaign has to be both an educational and a political…

Although the emphasis on adult literacy/basic education is increasing, the high dropout rate from programs in these areas is a concern. Why learners choose to participate or not to participate in such programs can be understood in terms of three sets of factors. Learner-inherent factors include self-evaluation, goals, and capabilities. Life…

The trait-state model, a framework for understanding adult literacy, draws heavily on the social psychological literature. Allport (1961) first proposed the notion of trait. The overriding characteristics of focus on trait is the individual's possession of language control. Cattell (1950, 1979) emphasized the notion of state in relation to trait…

An overview of adult education programs and services for limited-English-proficient adults is offered. The population targeted by these programs and services is estimated at 4 to 6.5 million United States residents, refugees, and immigrants. Adults and out-of-school youth 16 years and older are eligible for federal adult…

Although the National Workplace Literacy Program is relatively new, a new orthodoxy of program development based on particular understandings of literacy and learning has emerged. Descriptions of two model workplace education programs are the beginning points for an examination of the assumptions contained in most reports of workplace education…

Concern that Canadian Native illiteracy was being ignored or addressed ineffectively prompted this report, which includes a literature review, findings from a survey in several Native communities, and an overview of innovative practices and illustrative programs. The survey, conducted with 56 potential literacy learners from 8 geographically and…