This chapter reflects on the educational, socioemotional, and relational impact of a critical literacy and trauma-informed reading discussion group for women of color, highlighting the collective sense of knowledge, awareness, and resistance nurtured through the group process.

Lesotho's educational system and development are largely influenced by missionaries and colonisers who taught the three 'Rs' (reading, writing and numeracy skills) to the Basotho. Most of those enlightened Basotho were to carry on the duties of either educating others or as missionary workers. Some became clerks, interpreters, police officers,…

This article poses a model for developing a book club to promote praxis. This model is built upon a basic four step framework for developing book clubs and includes specific recommendations to focus the book club on reflection of theory and how to incorporate it into practice. This model will be used to start a book club examining Continuous…

This paper presents several "tips" for Spanish speaking adults who start a reading comprehension course in English. The document is the product of my twenty-five years of experience as a language teacher. By using these practical pieces of advice, learners understand the differences between English and their own language, are able read,…

That leading authors are delighted to write a book for very little, if any, financial return is an indication of the impact the Quick Reads initiative is still having six years after its launch. Since 2005, dozens of bestselling writers and celebrities have contributed funny, dramatic, and fast-moving books aimed at adults who have stopped reading…

This article presents 34 characteristics of texts and tasks ("text features") that can make continuous (prose), noncontinuous (document), and quantitative texts easier or more difficult for adolescents and adults to comprehend and use. The text features were identified by examining the assessment tasks and associated texts in the national…

"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…

The Education for All (EFA) goal of increasing adult literacy by 50 percent reflects two simple facts: first, primary school attendance has positive effects, including better family health and increased productivity; and second, when parents learn to read, more children go to school. So why haven't more countries and donors supported adult…

Six practical and readily accessible informal assessment strategies for evaluating adult readers are described. These include (1) observation, (2) simplified reading inventories, (3) cloze procedures, (4) group reading inventories, (5) criterion-referenced tests, and (6) informal reading inventories. (CH)

Describes projects of Oklahoma libraries designed to combat the problem of illiteracy among adults and explains Oklahoma Image, a humanities effort aimed at attracting out-of-school adults to public libraries by focusing on the state's multicultural heritage. Column also reports adult service news from other states. (JD)

Reports on the literacy rate among adults in India, especially the role of public libraries and special programs in improving that rate. (FM)

Describes a model reading program for the elderly. The program encourages the aged to revive dormant interests and explore new vistas as major prerequisites to personal fulfillment. The goal was to identify an instructional plan that motivates the elderly to seek intellectual, physical, or spiritual renewal through reading-related exercises.…

Readarama was established for a community retirement center in Athens, Georgia. The sessions were attended by healthy, active elderly women. Readarama points out the value of the reading group as an outlet for an already-established hobby and as a means of forming social contacts for the retiree. (Author)

Provides an overview of literacy and literacy education in Morocco. Sketches the historical context, and then discusses literacy in formal school settings, adult programs, and needed improvements. (SR)

Describes how pornographic books were used in a successful three-month program designed to teach 15 low-income adult males how to read. (DD)