Traces the progress of a beginning adult reader along the literacy continuum shown by child readers. Provides suggestions for teaching reading and writing to beginners which build on a learner's personal experiences and knowledge of language. (ARH)

Reports on a survey of adult literacy programs in the United States, focussing on the issues of student recruitment and retention. Suggests that personal sources are better than non-personal for recruitment, and that extrinsic motivation and a pleasant social environment are factors that can prevent attrition. (ARH)

Presents a critical review of the research on the effectiveness of adult literacy programs. Suggests that the methods used in current literacy programs offer students little chance of significant improvement. (ARH)

Provides an annotated bibliography of materials dealing with adult reading. (AEA)

Examines assumptions (such as "every adult can read to some extent" and "adult students will be well motivated") held by a veteran high school social studies teacher before he began teaching adults how to read. Discusses how some of the assumptions were valid, some invalid, and others partly valid. (RS)

Reviews research that presents the criteria by which adult literacy program effectiveness can be assessed. (MG)

Presents 10 tips for effective adult literacy programs, which were culled from presentations at the 1988 annual conference of American adult education directors. States that the key to success is having a sense of mission--nurturing a team spirit among the literacy program's staff and students. (RS)

Analyzes the usage of four metaphors (school, medical and industrial, military, and banking) that commonly appear in the United States' media and in public speeches that dramatize illiteracy. Argues that educators need to be aware of the strategic use of language in this adult literacy context. (SR)

Reports on the American Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation's "Press to Read" campaign, and on literacy projects initiated by a variety of newspapers. (JAD)

Describes a project which ranked over 100 adult disabled readers by ability level. Provides profiles of disability types, and makes suggestions for teaching strategies appropriate to each level. (ARH)

Offers (1) a teaching strategy using contemporary music themes to increase adolescents' confidence and reading fluency; and (2) a brief description of four literacy programs from around the world which were UNESCO prize winners. (SR)

Describes and analyzes how an Urban Appalachian woman who could not read or write progressed to functional levels when instruction involved her in reading her own language. Argues that educators who failed to acknowledge her language as an integral aspect of her as a learner may have denied her previous access to literacy. (SR)

Reports on a study that found that a large proportion of adult poor readers reported negative memories of reading aloud in school. Also found that dislike of oral reading increased with reading ability, was present equally among men and women, and was less common among Blacks than Whites. (ARH)

Describes how a language experience approach was used in a workplace literacy program for adult immigrant railroad workers in Australia. Describes how the workshop built on participants' developed oral skills and life experience to create texts that were relevant, interesting, and comprehensible to these learners. (SR)

An analysis of job reading requirements indicates that most job reading is reading-to-do, while job training programs require reading-to-learn tasks also. (MKM)