The findings of a community-wide effort to improve K-3rd-grade literacy engagement in an urban community in the United States are reported. Four elementary schools were chosen as data sites to collect assessment scores at three points in the year based on reading and literacy scores on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)…

This article presents a case study of a five-year English-literacy project carried out in primary and middle schools in the Pacific island nation of Tonga from 2012 to 2017. It summarizes why and how the project was begun; the activities carried out by Peace Corps Volunteers and Tongan partners; its objectives; and the products, procedures, and…

In July 2012 the National Literacy Trust were commissioned by Oxfordshire County Council to deliver the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign, a two-year initiative targeting Oxfordshire primary schools and the wider community, with the aim of substantially improving reading levels at Key Stage 1 and to increase the number of pupils reaching level 2b+.…

In 2012, Oxfordshire County Council commissioned the National Literacy Trust to deliver a two-year campaign, the Oxfordshire Reading Campaign, to address falling Key Stage 1 literacy levels in the county's primary schools, which were amongst the worst in the country. The aims of the campaign were to increase the proportion of children reaching the…

An evaluation of the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Literacy Corps was conducted to provide a description of the Literacy Corps, numbers of persons served, strategies used, volunteer activities, and project results; to determine the degree to which the program is meeting its goals; and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the…

The Kansas Volunteer Tutor Utilization (KV-TUTOR) project was undertaken to explore some of the possibilities of using volunteer tutors in adult basic education (ABE) programs. A volunteer structure was developed at 16 local ABE programs throughout the state. KV-TUTOR actively promoted these volunteer systems by contacting (through letters, phone…

Philadelphia's Center for Literacy (CFL), in an effort to improve recruitment and retention of volunteers for programs in tutorial literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL), conducted the following activities under its 1980-81 Section 310 grant: (1) installed a telephone recording machine for after-hours calls; (2) produced an informative…

In 1989, almost no organized recruitment efforts were made, either for tutors or learners, for Project READ, an adult literacy program held at the Longview, Washington, Public Library. The retention rate remained at 63 percent. Seventy-one tutors participated in the program; the average number tutoring each week was 34. Tutors from all walks of…

This report describes and evaluates an adult and family literacy education program at the Tom Green County Library (Texas). The project's objectives were to: provide a full-time library staff member to establish, coordinate, and promote an information, referral, and follow-up support system for literacy students; offer two in-service sessions in…

This report describes and evaluates an adult literacy education program, Project LEAD (Literacy Education and Development), at the Adrian Public Library (Michigan). The project's objectives were to: recruit functionally illiterate adults and provide reading instruction to improve literacy skills; recruit and train 65 additional volunteer tutors…

Vygotsky (1978) presented ideas influential to the "constructivist" approach to education. This approach included the "zone of proximal development," and defined what is essential for student's development of a higher cognitive ability in order to become self-motivated learners. His theory also directly relates to the research regarding the…

Teacher effectiveness is one of the most important determinants of the success of adult literacy programmes. From the outset of the campaign movement, the National Literacy Mission (NLM) of the Government of India has emphasised the need for a training and support system for campaign personnel, who often have limited education and lack of…

In an effort to help disadvantaged preschool children develop emergent literacy skills and improve their chances of future academic success, a cooperative project was implemented in 1991-92 by McNeese State University in Louisiana and a local Head Start agency to provide tutoring to Head Start children. University students enrolled in a teacher's…

A study determined the economic impact of each dollar invested in Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. (LVA). The analysis included 217 interviews, 165 in New York and 52 in Wisconsin; analysis of economic impact; and statistical validation and analysis. For every dollar spent by LVA, the value created (return) to the overall economy was a…

A survey of volunteer programs in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy instruction in Illinois is reported. The report begins with a review of literature concerning ESL literacy volunteerism, most of which is descriptive and program-specific. The statewide survey results are then summarized, giving an overview of ESL volunteer programming.…