Advocates using children's picture books as quality instructional material for adult literacy programs and as a motivational tool for new readers who want to share their skills with children in their own families. Notes instructional strategies for parents, and lists some recommended books. (SR)

Describes several standardized tests designed for adult literacy assessment, as well as informal assessment procedures, and promising developments for the future. (SR)

Discusses the complexity of the process needed to effect renewal and improvement in adult literacy and basic education. Suggests that various stakeholders hold their own sets of interests and that, to implement changes effectively, these groups need to negotiate and construct a conception of quality that all can accept. (JOW)

Describes using the language experience approach as a diagnostic tool with adults who want to learn to read. Offers a checklist. (SR)

Primary differences between U.S. and Canadian use of General Educational Development Tests are as follows: Canada developed French version and uses metrics in math tests; some provinces use grade-level certification, not used in the U.S.; Canadian-content social studies test was developed; most provinces/territories set uniform pass levels; and…

General Educational Development students created original math problems based on life experiences, using process writing. They used prewriting, drafting, responding, revising, sharing, role playing, modeling, and brainstorming, integrating reading, writing, and math. (JOW)

North Carolina experiences serving homeless adults suggest four goals for adult basic education: rethinking the potential of literacy programs, reimaging the curriculum, redesigning teacher training, and reformulating funding. Practitioners should consider an expanded role in solving social problems. (SK)

Adults with dyslexia displayed the following attitudes about time: (1) they felt intensive classroom time was essential; (2) they wanted class time to be focused on learning basics; (3) they never felt they got enough time from the tutor or volunteers; (4) group work led to insecurities about pace; and (5) despite these views, their attendance was…

A family literacy program used television soap operas as a starting point for investigating home and community literacy practices. Parents participated as co-researchers, comparing media portrayals of literacy events with their own everyday practices. (SK)

Focuses on developments in the field of adult literacy in the 1990s and outlines seven areas related to key topics in the field. Provides a brief analysis of major research findings in each of these areas and offers a prognosis of the next generation of adult literacy work in the United States. (SLD)

Discusses the opinions of Daniel A. Wagner and Richard L. Venezky about the field of adult literacy, and challenges their position that the field needs to continue to develop along existing lines. Suggests that alternatives to traditional classroom-based literacy be studied to provide research-based alternatives to traditional practices. (SLD)

Continues the exploration of the future direction for the field of adult literacy and calls for improved empirical underpinnings for practice in the area of adult literacy and the improvement of the research base. (SLD)

Explores literacy sponsorship at an academy that schooled young Native American men near Lexington, Kentucky in the early 19th century. Presents case studies based on the correspondence of two advanced students who turned their literacy lessons toward a critique of their living and learning conditions. Notes the students embraced liberatory…

Reviews of evaluation reports on 12 adult basic education (ABE) and 5 basic living skills programs were used to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of those programs. Findings indicate that ABE programs show promise for decreasing recidivism. (JOW)

Interviews with five Mayans in Guatemalan villages identified deterrents to participation in literacy programs at four levels: (1) individual (personal history, self-perception); (2) family (values, machismo); (3) community (ethnic identity, economic system); and (4) national (funding, policies, culturally inappropriate formats). (SK)