This document, which is designed to assist workplace education practitioners in business, education, and labor partnerships funded through the Massachusetts Department of Education's Workplace Literacy Program, includes materials about and/or for use in developing workers' mathematics skills. The first section, which examines the current state of…

Text has traditionally been the mode used to convey information in educational settings, including workplace training. Unfortunately, printed materials have little to offer persons with reading difficulties. Text may be made easier to understand by using predictable structure, shorter sentences, and less demanding vocabulary; however, such…

This report provides information on a workplace education program in which Emily Griffith Opportunity School, Denver, partnered with Columbia HealthONE, Dobbs International Services, Imperial Headwear, Inc., Marriott Hotels, Provenant Health Partners, University of Colorado Health Science Center, and Westin Hotel. Section A of Part I, a program…

Written by a workplace literacy teacher, this writing curriculum guide contains information, reflections, and student handouts for teaching writing to adult students. Topics covered include motivation to write, misconceptions about writing, the writing process (rehearsal, drafting, revision, editing, and publishing), spelling, and voice. (KC)

This volume, one of a series of curriculum guides compiled by the Colorado Workplace Learning Initiative: 1991-92, contains seven workplace literacy courses on enhanced basic skills involving decisions, teams, problem solving, and critical thinking. Introductory materials include a table of contents and a list of the curriculum topics covered by…

This guide is intended for use in presenting a 16-hour, 8-session reading course designed to develop the workplace literacy skills of persons employed in the manufacturing and service industries. The course is structured so that, upon its completion, students will be able to accomplish the following: use a reading plan to skim, scan, and read…

This workbook, designed for workplace literacy courses, contains materials for the second part of a course on reading and writing effectively. Introductory materials include objectives, a topical outline, sources, and information on time for the course and continuing education credits. The 16 sessions of the course cover the following topics:…

Frontier College hosted a 2-day national forum to discuss workplace literacy issues. The following issues were identified for inclusion: (1) delivery models for workplace literacy; (2) "show and tell" sessions; (3) networking opportunities; (4) discussion of literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language training; (5) services and supports to…

In a study designed to analyze differences between job performance and level of experience, 27 nurses from three different employment levels (in training, experienced, and supervisory) were observed, interviewed, tested, and rated for job performance. An observation checklist recorded job behavior in terms of the type of activity observed, the…

A discussion of the literacy education needs of the Hispanic community in the United States provides a profile of the Hispanic population and offers a plan of action for educational programming. At 7 million, the illiterate Hispanic population comprises one-third of functionally illiterate Americans. This subgroup is diverse, with as much as half…

The text of three papers are presented. The first, by Alma Ada Flor, focuses on the question "What is participatory research?" It is suggested that participatory research enriches the knowledge of participants and opens up new topics to them. The nature and theory fundmental to participatory research and the relation of participatory research to…

This essay attempts to forge links needed between literacy and economic activity by demonstrating analytical methods for relating the production and consumption of goods and services in an economy to the requirements for literacy among its workers. First, work force literacy is described within an economic framework. Second, economy-literacy links…

The personnel director of a local industry requested reading help from Central Missouri State University for several employees. After several meetings, a workplace literacy program that used the whole language approach supplemented by direct instruction in word recognition skills was developed. Two types of tests were written. One, a vocabulary…

A study investigated the self-perceived, on-the-job literacy tasks of electrical mechanic apprentices in Victoria, Australia. A random sample of 401 apprentices from 19 locations representing all levels of apprenticeship training were questioned about their reading needs and the consequences of making a reading error in their work. Data were…

Although the literacy and related competencies required in skilled and semiskilled occupations are far more complex than the term "functional" implies, only marginal literacy competencies may be required for success on the job. Recommendations to adult basic education teachers include guidelines for preparing students for success in the workplace.…