This report provides a summary and evaluation of a retreat held for the directors and literacy coordinators of the 46 public libraries participating in the California Literacy Campaign (CLC), their supervisors, State Library staff, and members of the California Library Services Board. Following a brief introduction and overview, descriptions of…

This issue of the yearbook contains twenty papers that were presented and discussed at the eighth annual meeting of the National Reading Conference. Papers in part one relate to the various problems involved in starting college reading programs, including the administration of the program, selection and motivation of students, objectives,…

Investigates the fear underlying most adult illiteracy and suggests the need for teaching based on careful and imaginative responses to adult basic readers. (MM)

A research-based model of adult literacy categorizes adult reading habits into four categories: (1) illiteracy, the inability to read; (2) aliteracy, the absence of reading by those who are able to read; (3) selective literacy, reading only one type of material for a single purpose; and (4) active literacy, fully embracing literacy in all aspects…

This paper offers a description of the Ball-Stick-Bird reading system which has been used successfully to teach students with IQs as low as 20 to read with comprehension. A summary of research findings on this approach is presented as well as a discussion of these findings within a neurological/behavioral/evolutionary framework. A new theory of…

Government survey results reveal that large numbers of adults in the United States do not possess the minimal survival and life-coping skills necessary to function successfully in daily living. Since reading is the most basic of all life survival skills, a thematic reading that emphasized consumer survival was developed in the fall of 1977 at…

TRENDS EVIDENT IN ADULT READING DURING THE 1960'S IN THE AREAS OF ADMINISTRATION, PROGRAMS, TEACHING, TECHNIQUES, RESEARCH PROJECTS, AND METHODS OF PROMOTION OF READING PROGRAMS ARE DISCUSSED. TWO INSTANCES OF COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION BASED ON INTENSE AND OFTEN FALLACIOUS ADVERTISING AND ON PUBLIC IGNORANCE ARE CITED. A POSITIVE TREND IN THE AREA…

Written for Spanish-speaking Puerto Rican agricultural workers, this course of study provides basic conversational concepts for those who have little or no acquaintance with English. Several important reasons for obtaining skill in the use of English are enumerated in the introductory paragraphs which are in Spanish. The text takes the student…

In view of the fact that 13% of the 9, 13, and 17-year-old students in the United States have been found to be functionally illiterate in a national study, this booklet was produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to review efforts that have been undertaken to strengthen students' command of reading skills. Among the topics discussed are…

Following an introduction on "Taking Risks" (Martha Merson), this journal contains 11 articles on taking risks in teaching adult literacy, mostly by educators in the Boston area. The following are included: "My Dreams Are Bigger than My Fears Now" (Sharon Carey); "Making a Pitch for Poetry in ABE [Adult Basic…

This paper provides an analysis of "Corrective Reading" research. A research review of 28 published studies was completed. Twenty-three studies examined the effectiveness of "Corrective Reading" as delivered by teachers in general education (n = 4), special education (n = 12), and alternative education (n = 7) settings. Five…

This document is designed to help adult educators understand and meet the needs of adults with learning disabilities (ALDs). A research-substantiated rationale for remedial instruction for ALDs is presented in the introduction. Selected terms are defined, and common characteristics of ALDs are examined. Basic assumptions regarding adult learning…

This guide is designed as a training tool for volunteers participating in the Volunteers in Tutoring Adult Learners (VITAL) program. Developed by the staff at the Monroe County Public Library in Bloomington, Indiana, VITAL is an adult literacy program that is based on active cooperation between program trainers and volunteer tutors. Various…

This book is a systematic exploration of literacy programs for adults with developmental disabilities. The following are among the topics discussed: issues in adult literacy (multicultural issues, combining literacy instruction with transition, and assessment of adult literacy); the developmental basis for adult literacy education (postformal…

This document is intended to help learning organizations and practitioners meet the needs of their black and minority ethnic adult students. The introduction explains how the guide was developed and discusses the concept of "color blindness." The next six sections examine the following topics: (1) social and economic issues; (2)…