This paper examines a comprehensive approach to training for child care practitioners and presents a framework for developing staff training. It considers each of the four elements essential to building training experiences: adult developmental change, growth in professional competence, characteristics of adult learning, and training options. Each…

Suggestions are made regarding ways teachers can help adult learners reduce their test anxiety. These general comments apply to content-oriented courses and may have some general applicability to all testing situations. The suggestions include clearly characterizing the test prior to its administration, planning for last-minute questions on test…

The Ryedale Adult Literacy Paired Reading Project pairs tutors and adults with reading difficulties. In the Ryedale program, tutees choose reading material that is within the tutor's readability level. The tutor and tutee read aloud together at the tutee's pace until the tutee has made enough progress to read aloud alone. When tutees feel ready,…

Research on adult learning shows that there is no decline in ability to learn as people get older, that except for minor considerations such as hearing and vision loss, the age of the adult learner is not a major factor in language acquisition, and that the context in which adults learn is the major influence on their ability to acquire a new…

The critical incidents method is an instructional method that is particularly suited for use with adult learners. The method involves the following sequence of activities: brief introduction to the subject under consideration, short explanation of the critical incident technique, presentation of the critical incident and directions, group work and…

Rapid technological advances will double America's information system every 8 years. As a result, adults in and out of the work force will need continual updating of the information and skills they use in all aspects of life. Of the current 58.4 million adults engaged in some form of organized education, only 12.4 million are attending colleges or…

A study was conducted to find out from learners how they actually direct their own language learning in a variety of social settings. In this study, self direction includes the phenomena represented by the terms "conscious learning strategies," either a focused approach or a general strategy, and "self directed learning," in distinction from…

The elimination of adult functional illiteracy has been declared a national priority. More than the ability to decipher a given text, functional literacy means the practical application of literacy skills to life in a particular society or group. But this in turn demands that the individual have enough prior knowledge of the surrounding culture…

This pamphlet on teaching adults is the fifth of 16 in a series to provide leaders in adult activities with sound introductory material to give practical help in using a method of adult education or working in a particular area. Its objective is to help adult teachers in a variety of institutional settings who specialize in teaching many different…

The factors necessary for implementing and maintaining an individualized adult reading lab are outlined briefly in this paper. Teaching approaches that make the lab suitable for remedial readers, as well as how the individualized approach can help the student beyond the basics of reading are discussed under the heading of components. Suggestions…

This review of self-planned learning is divided into three parts: (1) learning theory, (2) instructional theory, and (3) practitioner application. Its objective is to help participants learn about the relevance and applications to and implications for adult development and learning of psychology. In the first part behaviorism and neobehaviorism…

A study explored research data to see if evidence exists to support the assumption by adult educators that adults learn differently than children. Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) documents, educational and psychological periodicals, and other resources were reviewed. It was discovered that most adult educators have dealt with…

This booklet, prepared as background information for the White House Conference, describes recent developments in providing learners' advisory services to adults beyond traditional school and college age. In particular, it focuses on the Woodbridge, New Jersey, Public Library, one of nine participating libraries in an Adult Independent Learner…

This sourcebook, intended for museum professionals, is an introduction to issues of lifelong learning, adult education, continuing education, and community education. It also provides a brief historical review and examples of museum programs for adults. These programs and services include bulletins and journals, slide-tape and video presentations,…