Proposes that illiteracy due to social reasons is a good source of information to investigate the adaptation mechanisms to the formal knowledge of written language. Compares illiterate subjects and their controls in several experimental conditions. Concludes that schooling, and in particular the knowledge of orthography, introduces in the brain…

Reviews U.S. immigration history, highlighting the three great migrations, the newest immigrants, their lands of origin (Asia and Latin America), major settlement areas and characteristics, the wave theory of immigration, reasons for immigrating, the changing face of America, and challenges for the schools (higher minority enrollments and…

Whether rural or urban, children of poverty often live on islands of cultural and economic isolation far from the world of school, books, and learning. To help them span that gap, they need bridges built from innovative plans, with whatever tools can be found, by any and all who will help. (SI)

Critical issues facing literacy educators working with women include honesty of their goals regarding empowerment; in what type of development should literacy play a role; elimination of the deficit or "rescue" perspective; literacy's contribution to the growth of community; and literacy as an instrument for the humanizing transformation…

Twelve literacy goals include new attitude toward illiteracy; clarification of the concept; articulated child-adult strategy; attention to women's needs; updating the field; attention to pedagogy; a literate environment; quality; better data; attention to preschool literacy; literacy in the context of basic education; and international cooperation…

Literacy efforts in China have the following characteristics: (1) awareness of the necessity to eliminate illiteracy; (2) active participation of all levels; (3) combination of literacy education with skills acquisition; (4) emphasis on efficiency; and (5) compulsory schooling and prevention and follow-up efforts among the young. (SK)

Discusses ways elementary teachers may identify low-literate parents and how teachers can help low-literate parents. (SR)

One of the main objectives of studying intellectual disability (ID) in children is to explore its causes. A specific aetiological diagnosis is important in determining the prognosis, nature and extent of services needed to support affected children. Aetiology and risk factors in mild ID were studied in a cohort of longitudinally followed children…

Previous work has shown that illiterate subjects are better at naming two-dimensional representations of real objects when presented as colored photos as compared to black and white drawings. This raises the question if color or textural details selectively improve object recognition and naming in illiterate compared to literate subjects. In this…

This paper aims to critically examine the trends, issues and challenges in policy and practice of English language education in Pakistan. This is done first by historically reviewing the English language education policies since Pakistan's independence in 1947, looking particularly at policy objectives, implementation strategies and outcomes, and…

The problem of functional illiteracy emerged in world science in the second half of the twentieth century, when it became obvious that in and of itself, the number of years a person spends in schooling does not guarantee a high level of professional and personal literacy. The problem was not manifested in the same way in the different national…

This article examines the concept of glocality as a way to better understand why immigrants, poor people, print-illiterate families, and boys are short-changed by schools that often operate under a deficit model or deprivation model in which students' economic, language, and gender status is the main determinant for school success. The author…

A conference report of the International Symposium for Literacy reviews the Inaugural Address, a UNESCO statistical report on world literacy activities, and a report on literacy in China. The final Symposium report (Declaration of Persepolis) and a list of papers and informational notes presented are appended. (LH)

To address the confusion and concern surrounding the issue of literacy in the United States, this article outlines the history of literacy development in this country (tracing the growth of literacy, methods of estimating population literacy, and changing definitions of literacy), assesses the present scene, and draws implications for schooling…

The principal aspects that characterize the illiteracy problem in 14 Latin American and Caribbean countries and the achievements of 22 currently established literacy programs were determined through a 1981 UNESCO study. The purpose of this study was to obtain data useful in the planning of future literacy programs. Section one identifies…