Reports on research probing job-related literacy demands and on programs promoting job literacy. (JT)

Details a study indicating that the minimal level of literacy necessary for adults in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is very high. Provides a master list of vocabulary words, symbols, numbers, abbreviations, computational skills, and writing skills needed for functional literacy. (MKM)

Multimedia instruction was used to teach three secondary students with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities to locate grocery items by reading words on aisle signs. Results indicate that the multimedia program was effective in teaching generalized reading of the associated word pairs and location of the grocery items in the store. (Contains…

Ways that literacy and numeracy can be integrated into adult basic education classes are discussed. A class of six adult students learning language and mathematics in the context of the federal election illustrates the effectiveness of integrated teaching. (Contains 12 references.) (LB)

This article proposes a four-component framework for understanding the literacy of individuals with visual impairments, and defines two levels of literacy--basic (or academic) and functional (or practical) literacy. Implications are drawn for development of self-advocacy skills, development of standards for judging literacy in this population, and…

Describes a basic literacy program developed by the Spanish Women's Institute to lower the number of illiterate women in Spain and encourage women lacking basic educational skills to participate in the existing educational system. Explains the program's "New Approach" teaching materials, which teach women to read and write while…

Offers suggestions for teachers to integrate the functional uses of numbers and mathematics into the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom curriculum, as well as several sources of information for additional exercises and ideas for activities. (15 references) (Author/LB)

Discusses curriculum-based measurement as an alternative to both standardized and teacher-developed reading tests. Oral Reading Fluency, a curriculum-based measure of reading is presented as an accurate indicator of both general reading ability and reading comprehension, and as a means of monitoring reading progress towards functional literacy.…

Examines mistakes in following instructions in an electronics factory. Explores the significance of the mistakes and a range of explanations for why they occur. Offers an expansive definition of what it means to be a literate, skills-rich worker, and urges vigilance against the tendency in both schools and workplaces to label and mislabel. (SC)

A review of 48 studies on the use of sight-word methodology to teach functional reading to individuals with moderate and severe disabilities found that sight-word instruction has been highly effective with this population. New strategies have included feedback procedures and applying constant time delay. A persistent limitation of the research is…

This report on what can and should be done to raise the literacy rate in Louisiana recommends that: (1) a state literacy office be established under the office of the governor to coordinate and facilitate the state's literacy programs; (2) a standard operational definition of literacy be established; (3) a Louisiana Literacy Foundation be…

English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs, characterized by the special needs of the language learners, are described and a review of the literature on a functional-notional approach to the syllabus design of ESP programs is presented. It is suggested that effective ESP programs should teach the language skills necessary to function and perform…

Contextualized instruction (also referenced as anchor instruction) is teaching a skill within a specific or functional context known as a target setting. The purpose of this approach is to teach transfer or generalization of a skill in order to increase the likelihood that what is taught in the training or classroom setting will be used in future…

The author discusses the educational concept of "learning to do" (interrelated activities of learning and doing) and the role it plays in relation to primary education, secondary education, out of school programs, and non-formal education. (BP)

Various approaches for making functional literacy programs available and for making information available to the illiterate are briefly presented. (AG)