Despite efforts to promote literacy in the early years, millions of people in the United States and countless more abroad are functionally illiterate. The importance of improving adult literacy proficiency is unquestionable; however, the pedagogical approaches to support this monumental undertaking have been scarcely researched. Moreover, the…

The article examines causes of adult illiteracy and notes the effects of failure to progress at the early stages of reading development, often due to inadequate language experience and stimulation. Suggestions for promoting language acquisition and comprehension are offered. (CL)

Aimed at tutors with some experience of adult literacy work, this handbook offers information and advice that should help them adapt their teaching approaches to meet the needs of partially sighted students. It outlines the situations that are likely to arise during the tutoring situation with an explanation of common sense procedures and simple…

Faced with a student who is unable to read, a teacher refuses to give up on her and encourages her to participate in an after-school, volunteer tutorial program. By year's end, the student has improved 34 months on standardized testing and is placed at her appropriate grade level. (JL)

Reviews statistics on the illiteracy problem in Guatemala. Offers a personal account of an immersion trip to the country with a group of American Catholic youth ministers. Describes the work of the Society for the Development of the Integrated Guatemalan Family. Discusses Guatemala's social problems and educational needs. (PAA)

Reviews global statistics on illiteracy. Highlights to objectives of UNESCO's International Literacy Year. Discusses the trend toward intergenerational or family literacy programs in the U.S., as exemplified by Head Start, Even Start, and the parent-children literacy efforts of Sharon Darling. (DMM)

In teaching introductory English as a second language to nonliterate adult refugees, the focus should initially be on oral skills. The literature on characteristics of recent Southeast Asian refugees and suggested curriculum strategies is reviewed in order to determine the appropriate curriculum and methods for this group. A curriculum for…

Part I of this document contains materials that relate to the Screening Test for Adult Learning Difficulties (STALD). The test, other testing materials, and test administrator's sheets are provided as attachments. The test is aimed at screening adult learners individually to see whether characteristics common to adults with learning difficulties…

Discusses Kentucky's efforts to increase adult literacy through the New Books for New Readers program in which scholars were asked to write books emphasizing adult topics with a reading level of third to fifth grade. Describes the process through which the target audience is involved in the creation of books for the program. (KO)

Discusses the issues of a curriculum of literacy in Canada. Describes the influence of educational trends in the United States and Great Britain. Suggests that the literacy problem is not such a crisis as the media makes it appear. Urges a union of educational and scholarly concerns, building on lessons of history and theory. (DK)

Materials are provided on an adult right-to-read program for Collin County developed by the Allen Independent School District Community Education department. Narratives by the district coordinator, program director, and volunteer director set forth administrative considerations, general guidelines, information on evaluations and tutor training, a…

The Inmate Editor of "The ECHO," a newspaper for 50,000 inmates in the Texas Prison System, describes teaching an illiterate young prisoner to read and write; states that the majority of inmates are barely literate; and urges teachers never to discount their own impact as role models and to infect children with the desire to know. (MLF)

This monograph compiles the comments of several reviewers into an annotated bibliography of materials for teaching reading (levels 1-3) to adults. A literature review format is used to present these comments, as found in published speeches, articles, and other materials, which describe the history of adult basic education and literacy education as…

This manual outlines the procedures for recruiting, preparing, scheduling, presenting, and evaluating a workshop for tutors participating in a program to help nonreaders develop job search skills. The following topics are discussed: an overview of the program; recruitment of tutors; recruitment of students; preparation for the workshop (space and…

This manual is intended to assist tutors participating in a program to help nonreaders develop job search skills. The first two sections give an overview of the program and present general guidelines for working with students. Detailed suggestions are provided for working with students in sessions addressing the following questions: Am I ready to…