Discusses the need for balance in the research and evaluation of adult beginning readers in seven areas: program success and failure, problem definition versus adult competence, reminiscence versus current requirements, call to action versus knowledge, sociological and instructional diagnosis, assumption versus honest appraisal, and reporting on…

Compares two approaches to teaching reading to adults: the eclectic, research-based method of Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) and the phonics-based Laubach Literacy International. Concludes that LVA has the advantages of adaptability to student differences, a thorough evaluation system, and a superior published reading series. (SK)

This 8-item test is intended to help adult basic education teachers obtain a quick assessment of the prereading skills that their beginning adult readers have already mastered. The individual items of the test are designed to assess the following: ability to write one's own name; left-to-right orientation; perceptual hearing; sound-letter and…

Areas of concern for matching adult readers and programs are theoretical orientation (meaning based, code based, or interactive); programing factors (reading assessment, goal formation, affective factors, negative schooling attitudes, student interests, reading interpretations); and methodologies (phonics, whole word, neuro-impress, repeated…

A study compared results of an informal test of word recognition and a qualitative assessment of word knowledge with 32 adult basic education students. Results showed that adult spelling development is similar to that in children. The spelling-by-stage assessment instrument may be a useful substitute for word recognition tests. (SK)