The Literacy Improvement Needs Collaboration in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was assisted by African-American ministers from the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance in recruiting adults from the community for a literacy program and 50 volunteers to serve as tutors and community liaisons. Some of the stigma of illiteracy was alleviated by using…

The literacy field hopes that literacy will be considered separately from the S-2 Omnibus Education Bill in Congress. Problems remain in the definitions of literacy, establishment of a National Institute for Literacy, lack of investment in teacher training and technology, and accountability. (SK)

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 adult literacy and the need for appropriate instruction to prepare workers for job-related reading. (MG)

This paper draws on a recent theory-driven critical case study that uses ethnographic methods to examine data on the stated needs for literacy of adult literacy learners. It is argued that the literacy needs of adult learners are social constructions. (14 references) (LB)

Study of language/literacy needs of Sydney (Australia) local government found a strong oral culture among employees but management reliance on written communication. A multifaceted approach integrating literacy with other training programs was recommended. Literacy skills were vital to the process of award restructure (job reclassification). (SK)

Patients must be able to understand oral and written instructions and health care materials. Patients with low literacy levels need educational programs and materials designed to teach them how to manage their health needs. (SK)

Assesses the relative influences of education, social environment, and current activities on the practical literacy of young adults in the United States. Shows that both early experience and current activities powerfully influence young-adult literacy and that early environmental advantages yield subsequent advantages that lead to wide disparities…

Resistance to the notion of empowerment among students in a graduate English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher preparation program is analyzed using a postmodern and feminist framework. Focus is on the role of facilitator, a role instituted to help students reflect on their own collaborative and critical processes. (Contains 39 references.)…

It is suggested that those championing the growing national family literacy movement in the United States miss the point that society itself, not the families, constructs the conditions of poverty. Implications for meaningful change are discussed. (Contains 13 references.) (LB)

As the number of organizations engaged in some form of workplace literacy training grows, their capacity to enhance worker skills/knowledge and improve productivity becomes more challenging. Two factors are important: instructional program fit in the workplace and types of organizational support available. (Contains six references.) (LB)

Problems in the definition of competency-based education are discussed. Theory and examples are cited in three areas: limited range of competencies, emphasis on knowledge rather than use, and lack of requirements for a phrasebook approach. (Contains four references.) (LB)

The term "alternative assessment" has become commonplace in the field of adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy. Just what it means and how to practice it are discussed. (Contains 14 references.) (LB)

Among Chicano and Mexican-born residents of five states, surveyed in 1979, inclusion of Spanish literacy produced a higher literacy rate than is generally cited for this population. Biliteracy and Spanish literacy were associated with educational achievement, family income, employment, and political participation. Associations with gender, age,…