Consisting of testimony and prepared materials presented to a joint session of House and Senate subcommittees, this report deals with the problem of illiteracy in the United States. The report contains statements from Richard C. Anderson, director of the Center for the Study of Reading; Samuel L. Banks, president of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, Inc.; Herman Brown, professor of psychology at the University of the District of Columbia; Thomas G. Sticht, president of Applied Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, Inc.; Woodrow Evans, adult education student; David P. Gardner, president of the University of California; Jonathan Kozol, author; Donald A. McCune, California State Department of Education; Renee Poussaint, reporter and volunteer tutor; Mrs. Elliot Richardson and Ruth Graves, representing Reading Is Fundamental; John C. Manning, president of the International Reading Association; Monika Sullivan, adult basic education student, and Helen Whelan, coordinator and counselor at the Fairfax County Adult and Community Education program; Mrs. Sidney Savage, president of the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia; Representative Robin Tallon of South Carolina; William S. Woodside, chairman of the American Can Company; and Senator Edward Zorinsky of Nebraska. In addition, the report contains prepared statements from a number of witnesses from the business, education, and political communities, as well as supporting materials, including letters, newspaper articles, pamphlets, and journal articles. (FL)