In the past 2 decades, researchers (often working closely with parents, teachers, and other school staff members) have conducted studies that have substantially increased understanding how to effectively teach children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) to read. This research focus has been fueled by increased societal expectations…

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…

Reviews of the research on literacy for students with moderate intellectual disability indicated that sight-word instruction continues to be their primary mode of reading instruction. Reported in this article are data supporting the Sight-Word Component of the larger Integrated Literacy Curriculum for Students with Moderate to Severe Intellectual…

How-to-do-it monologues and tasks based on actual job reading give students needed practice in relating reading to job activities. (SK)

Lists and describes the criteria used by the Toronto Public Library in selecting basic reading materials for functional illiterates. (CHC)

Explores the function of reading in several societies. (MKM)

This report contains the proceedings of the International Literacy Day Conference held in Washington, D.C., on September 8, 1978. It contains a program of conference events, an executive summary, a message from the vice president of the United States, and the text of the proceedings. The proceedings include introductory remarks by Edwin Newman; a…

Provides a rationale for developing document literacy--the ability to read and use the many printed forms of information encountered on a regular basis, such as applications, forms, and instructions. Offers practical suggestions for using such documents in middle school classrooms. (EV)

Proposes redefining the problem of illiteracy in terms of a "social-interaction perspective" that would emphasize the need "to acculturate students to the practices of reading in their communities" and the broad range of reading competencies required by today's society. (JBM)

Discusses the decisions made in the development of a functional literacy test used in Philadelphia. (MKM)

Recommends adapting the language of class materials and texts used in apprenticeship training programs to make them appropriate to the functional language demands made on tradespeople in real-life working situations. (AEA)

Outlines the contents of reading materials kits designed to be used to improve the functional reading ability of adolescents in Great Britain. (VJ)

Reports on a study of reading and writing practices within a community environment. Concludes that literacy has different meanings for members of different groups, with a variety of modes, functions, and uses. Points out that these differences have yet to be taken into account by policymakers. (JMF)

Presents preliminary findings of a study of the various forms, functions, and values of literacy in Mexican and Mexican American homes. Discusses two crucial issues: the qualitative differences in the use of same literacy forms by different children and the children's role in dealing with literacy demands. (NQA)

Although the majority of today's young adults meet or surpass the "literacy" standards of 25 years ago, they often lack the level of literacy needed to meet current demands. The National Assessment of Educational Progress studied a nationally representative sample of 3,600 young American adults, aged 21 to 25, to determine how well they could…