Childhood education affects how individuals adapt to the challenges of adulthood. Although various generalizations are made relating childhood educational experiences to characteristics of adults, there is scant evidence to support those assertions for adult literacy learners in the United States. This study investigates the relationship of…

Statistical analyses of data from an academically diverse sample of 276 adult basic and secondary education learners extends understanding of the relation of and interactions between oral reading fluency and reading competence indices. Significant interactions between total word rate and word error rate that differed in relation to two measures of…

The attitudes of adult basic education faculty members toward teaching adults with learning disabilities are likely to influence the success of their students; however, there are no existing survey instruments that measure this construct or the practical knowledge faculty members should have to effectively serve the population. A new survey…

The following insights into the reading skills of 312 participants in adult basic and secondary education programs are based on a principal components analysis of reading components' contributions to variance in reading comprehension. Overall, 75% of variance was explained by four composite variables representing word skills, language…

The extant literature offers little to describe the processes for screening students in adult basic education (ABE) programs for potential learning disabilities, referring adult students for diagnostic assessment, or barriers to obtaining diagnostic assessment for a learning disability. Without current documentation of a learning disability, ABE…

The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of adult basic education (ABE) learners with different profiles of skills in the core reading components of decoding, word recognition, spelling, fluency, and comprehension. The analysis uses factor scores of those 5 reading components from on a prior investigation of the reliability and…

From 1999 to 2005, the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) did an annual review and synthesis of adult literacy research. This did not continue due to reallocation of federal education funds. To fill a portion of the gap left by NCSALL's departure, this adult literacy literature review analyzes and synthesizes the…

This study of 311 adult education learners found 29% self-reported having a specific learning disability (SLD). Significant differences in demographic, academic, and life experience variables between the adult learners with and without SLD included prior participation in special education, having both an SLD diagnosis and a high school diploma,…

The purposes of this study were to investigate the reliability and construct validity of measures of reading component skills with a sample of adult basic education (ABE) learners, including both native and nonnative English speakers, and to describe the performance of those learners on the measures. Investigation of measures of reading components…

Adult students in 4 groups (24 reading disabled, 5 math disabled, 4 reading and math disabled, and 60 nondisabled) completed 2 screening batteries: (1) Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) and Barona Premorbid Intelligence Index and (2) WRAT and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. Resulting classifications correctly identified approximately 80% as…

While research on the human brain indicates that some learning difficulties may be related to differential development of parts of the brain, there are unanswered questions and design weaknesses in the research. Adult educators should concentrate on identifying students' preferred learning modes and helping them use all of their faculties. (JOW)

Describes the field testing of the Mississippi Assessment Technique for Identifying Learning Disabilities in Adults (MATILDA) with 97 inmates, 50 undergraduates, and 8 students diagnosed as learning disabled. Reports how the test can be used as a preliminary screening device in adult basic education. (SK)

Interviews with 15 students identified learning and coping strategies for learning-disabled adult basic education students. A variety of learning strategies for dealing with reading, spelling, and life-skill tasks were uncovered. Learners were found to be contributing members of their social networks. (Author/JOW)

This study investigated the prevalence of learning disabilities among 189 male inmates in a county jail setting. If inmates scored below the sixth-grade level, they were further tested. From this procedure, it was concluded that there is a much higher rate of learning disabilities among the adult offender population than among the general…

A study investigated the educational levels of 196 inmates (85 percent male, most Caucasian, 5 ethnic groups represented) of the Cumberland County Jail (CCJ) in Portland, Maine, using a self-perception instrument and the results of the Tests of Applied Literacy Skills. Information was obtained regarding gender, age, recidivism, highest level of…