Describes an intergenerational reading program using children's literature in adult literacy classes. Discusses the adult literacy training sessions and the adaptations of the model in a variety of instructional settings. (JOW)

Describes a literacy expert's frustrating experience with Harry, an intelligent, resourceful, and illiterate man who was more afraid of tackling reading and writing than of jumping out of a helicopter. Unfortunately, some adults who have been mistreated in school are eager to become literate but lack courage to take the first step. (six…

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)

An experimental module that used the natural world as a context for teaching reading to adults with low reading skills was developed and tested with 18 inmates. Although participants demonstrated only modest gains in reading skills and behaviors compared to the control group, they attended many more hours of instruction and were more enthusiastic…

The purpose of this publication is to present Iowa's adult literacy program approved projected benchmark percentage levels for Program Year 2006 (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006). The passage of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) [Public Law 105-220] by the 105th Congress has ushered in a new era of collaboration, coordinator, cooperation and…

This report describes adult literacy needs, the role of the libraries in meeting those needs, literacy needs and services in New York, and the contributions the City University of New York (CUNY) is making to the literacy effort. Quotations from Paulo Freire and Jonathan Kozol are used to define the nature of illiteracy and its extent in the…

This document contains a trilogy of one-act plays, three multiple-act plays, and guidelines for using drama in adult literacy education classes. The background of the plays' development is outlined in a brief introductory section. Ideas provided for using drama in literacy education are procedures for conducting readings, suggestions for assigning…

This booklet provides 12 lessons designed to use the newspaper in an adult basic education curriculum. Each lesson focuses on a particular letter of the alphabet, provides a list of vocabulary needed for the lesson, and includes 10 steps which comprise the lesson, hints on how to teach the lesson, and suggested activities. (RS)

AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY AND REVIEW OF THE MATERIALS AVAILABLE FOR TEACHING ILLITERATE ADULTS TO READ WAS CONDUCTED BY QUESTIONING PUBLISHERS ABOUT THE LITERATURE THEY PUBLISHED FOR THE ADULT BASIC LITERACY MARKET. BASED ON THE PUBLISHERS' REPLIES, THE FOLLOWING SIX ANNOTATED LISTS OF ADULT READING MATERIALS WERE COMPILED AND ARE PRESENTED--BASIC…

The case histories of five students enrolled in a university course in how to study are reported. The students ranged in age from 18 to 35, included two males and three females, and varied in school experience from no college in one case and some college in two cases to college degrees in two cases. Students were initially taught to chart their…

A study of the reading rate and comprehension of 10 aerospace engineers and analysis of the readability of sample company communications were undertaken. The Nelson-Denny Reading Test comprehension scores for the engineers, when compared with scores of a norm group provided by the Nelson-Denny Test Manual, were nearly the same in mean and standard…

This document begins with an article about teaching the adult learner. The materials for adult basic education which follow have been classified into the following categories: communication skills, English as a second language, computation skills, life coping skills, and testing. Comprehensive systems is an additional category to include those…

Educational Testing Service, in cooperation with Response Analysis Corporation and MATHEMATICA, is carrying out a research project to describe reading behaviors of American adults and to translate these behaviors into a prototype of tasks for the measurement of adult reading achievement. A household interview survey of a nationally representative…

A series of institutes for adult service librarians was conducted by the Library School of the University of Wisconsin. This volume contains selected papers from each of the three Institutes: Reading Guidance, Library Services for New Literates, and Serving Readers through Hospital and Institution Libraries. The topics of these selected papers…

Case studies are presented of 30 public library reading and reading-related programs. Each case includes a description of the program, estimation of costs, and analysis of effectiveness. The 30 programs serve a variety of age groups: preschool children (N = 7), elementary school age children (N = 7), young adults (N = 6), adults (N = 5), and more…