Literacy should be viewed as a continuum of undereducation, stretching from those who cannot read and write at all at the low end to those who have less than a high school education at the high end. People at different points have different needs, which may differ greatly from those current literacy programs try to meet. The track record of…

This annotated bibliography lists 25 materials that focus on older adult literacy needs, issues, and programs. It includes current Canadian literature in the area, as well as pertinent U.S. documents. The materials cover topics ranging from older adult literacy program development and learning resources to selected titles of general literacy…

This report describes the formation of the Literacy Coalition of Harrisburg, which sought to allow for the pooling of resources, elimination of service duplication, and establishment of a referral system. Chapter I focuses on activities prior to submitting a grant proposal and includes correspondence. Chapter II covers writing and submitting the…

This blueprint is intended to give employers and organized labor an overview of the issues involved in workplace literacy. The guide is divided into six sections. Section 1 defines and introduces workplace literacy. Section 2 highlights some of the issues employers and organized labor are facing as a result of low literacy levels in the workplace.…

This handbook provides administrators and staffs of adult education programs with general information on volunteerism in adult education; information on specific programs and strategies, specifically Project SAVE (State Adult Volunteers in Education); and guidelines for program implementation. An overview of the impact of adult illiteracy precedes…

In an era of rising public criticism of education and decreasing resources, strategic planning can be a major tool for educational administrators who wish to respond to the increasing challenges their adult literacy programs face. Strategic planning can be defined as a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and…

Each year, a million new illiterates are being added to the pool of 50 million illiterates in Pakistan. An adult and continuing education program is reviewed. Objectives and needs, program implementation, curriculum requirements, and the role of international cooperation are topics considered. (MW)

A volunteer scheme in Bradford, England was set up to serve the needs of illiterates and semi-literates who couldn't attend a class. The service provided a confidential, free of charge, one-to-one, tutorial relationship in either the tutor's or client's home. (MW)

This handbook is designed to help literacy coordinators, especially in New Mexico, develop and implement volunteer literacy programs. The seven chapters provide information on (1) organizing the program; (2) recruitment of volunteers and students; (3) training tutors; (4) methods of instruction; (5) recordkeeping; (6) recognition and placement for…

Reports on an English county's adult language learning program, which originated as part of a national adult literacy campaign. (RL)

The director of the Queens Borough Public Library (Jamaica, New York) examines the role of the public library in helping to prevent illiteracy and discusses innovative ways libraries can serve adult readers and learners, using the Queens model as an example. Includes a sidebar by Audrey Gorman "Toward a New Definition of Literacy." (AEF)

This guide describes a model for a community-based literacy program for older adults that uses older adults as tutors. Guidelines are provided to program sponsors for implementing literacy education for older adults. Chapter I provides an overview of the problem of illiterate older adults and literacy education for them. Chapter II addresses the…

Noting that adult illiteracy is a problem in Nevada, this report assesses adult literacy programs and needs for the State of Nevada by examining the issues and surveying state funded and volunteer literacy programs as well as all public school districts. An executive summary presents (1) the extent of the illiteracy problem; (2) ramifications of…

Although volunteer tutors traditionally have formed the basis of the programs of Laubach Literacy Action and Literacy Volunteers of America, volunteers have begun to play a greater role in adult literacy instruction provided through community-based organizations, correctional institutions, churches, and federally funded adult basic education.…