The author theorizes that her students, single-parent welfare recipients, develop negative reading habits to camouflage low literacy. She describes instructional strategies that fail to help and methods she found effective. (SK)

Discusses how a literacy intervention program found success among struggling readers in prison. Describes "Turning a New Page," an unconditional literacy project that develops vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and self-esteem in the older, reluctant reader. Concludes that older, reluctant readers need motivation and respect in learning…

The Arkansas Department of Correction School District initially required educational attendance for inmates with less than a high-school diploma or a fourth-grade Wide Range Achievement Test score. Eventually, attendance was made compulsory for all inmates without high school diplomas. District funding was almost entirely from state education…

Examines the degree to which United States adult literacy programs use materials and activities reflective of real-life literacy functions and degree to which relationships between teachers and students reflect mutuality and shared power. Finds the majority of programs involve students in literacy activities that do not reflect real-life literacy…

Examines the following considerations for using computers in adult literacy instruction: why use computers; stand-alone versus integrated learning systems; training and supporting teachers in the use of interactive technologies; and outcomes of computer-assisted instruction. (SK)

An Iowa survey of 351 adult basic education participants uncovered 10 motivations for participation, which were used to develop a cluster-analysis market segmentation. Another Iowa study found 4 basic causes for nonparticipation: low perception of need, perceived difficulty, dislike of school, and situational barriers. (SK)

The reading practices of four inmates were analyzed, showing very distinct approaches to reading. Standardized tests proved inadequate for assessing their learning needs. Other assessment formats such as miscue analysis and individualized instruction and materials were recommended. (SK)

Describes and critically analyzes adult literacy training efforts in Zambia from 1945 to 1986. Offers the integrated small-scale approach as a more beneficial and cost effective means of training. Suggests that a grass roots method which attacks illiteracy both across and within the community will lead to the most effective program. (KO)

Describes some of the daily obstacles faced by adult students, especially literacy students, in Britain: bureaucracy, visas, lack of familiarity with the culture, and anxiety about personal problems. Argues that adult educators must concern themselves with these obstacles in order to defend the rights of adults to education. (SK)

This bibliographic essay describes resources available in the ERIC database for teachers of adult beginning readers. Categories considered are theories, principles, and assessment tools; resources to assist with material selection and development; and practical teaching guidelines. (SK)

Describes a Canadian curriculum development project; analyzes underlying policy assumptions. Advocates involvement of prison educators and inmates in the process if curriculum is to meet the educational needs of inmates. (Author/LAM)

When labor, management, and literacy educators collaborate to develop a learner-centered literacy program, literacy educators must be willing to learn about the work and lives of industrial workers. The Academy at Eastern Michigan University is an alternative to traditional adult basic education that engages adults in collaborative learning.…

Focuses on the difficulty of moving literacy programs from the classroom to the workplace. Suggests that writing consultants face similar difficulties as they develop writing-across-the-curriculum programs and consult with public schools K-12. (JAD)

A survey of dropouts from a workplace General Educational Development class received 37 responses (33%). The highest rated deterrent to participation was time constraints; clique members were more affected by this factor than were isolates. Males had higher dropout rates and they considered the program a lower personal priority than did females.…

Case studies of workplace literacy programs provided by a technical college to a hospital consortium, by a technical college to a high-tech firm, and by an Opportunities Industrialization Center illustrate how vocational institutions can offer customized curricula based on actual workplace situations to diverse business clients. (SK)