At the 1988 annual conference of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges, literacy was voted the number one issue. As a result of this designation, the board established a literacy task group to investigate the possibility of funding projects which would assist the colleges in the field of promoting literacy. In February 1988, with funding…

Leaders in business and industry are demanding workers who not only can read and write but can think creatively and critically and solve problems. Federal- and state-funded programs and volunteer organizations are involved with adult literacy. Increasingly, corporations are funding adult literacy projects. Adults read for different reasons than…

The adults who participate in classes, workshops, and other learning opportunities are as diverse as the kinds of programs in which they enroll and the reasons for which they enroll. Adult learners are multifaceted, appreciate flexibility in teaching strategies, and want a say in what they will learn. These purposes for adult education are…

The National Survey of Literacy Skills Used in Daily Activities assessed the functional literacy skills of Canadians aged 16-69. It used a series of commonplace tasks of varying difficulty supplemented by a self-assessment of the literacy skills and needs of Canadians to provide a detailed literacy profile of the adult population in Canada. A…

This report describes procedures for effective development and implementation of workplace literacy programs based on the experience of a partnership among Alabama Southern Community College (Monroeville, Alabama), Boise Cascade (Jackson, Alabama), and Vanity Fair (Monroeville, Alabama). The introductory summary describes the voluntary,…

This book provides a historical overview of illiteracy as a social phenomenon in Belgium, examines public policies, and profiles literacy in the French and Flemish communities. It is organized in six chapters. The first chapter presents an overview of literacy in Belgium, with information on the educational system and cultural diversity. Chapter 2…

This report provides information on 25 national educational research and development centers. The description of each center contains the name and address of the grantee, the director(s), affiliated organizations, a detailed abstract of its mission and activities, and a list of key personnel. The following centers are included: (1) National…

A two-pronged project model aimed to reduce the volume and increase the usefulness of health care materials and improve the literacy, verbal communication, and problem-solving skills of hospital employees. Regular meetings with hospital staff led project personnel to begin training with the cleaning staff in the areas of fire safety, back care,…

Lehigh Valley (Pennsylvania) business, education, and service representatives offered residents of a two-county work force a chance to take the General Educational Development (GED) test for free and improve basic skills. Lehigh Valley census data indicated that one-third of the 650,000 population lacked a high school diploma, yet fewer than 500…

This special "theme" edition of a newsletter focuses on learning disabilities of adult participants in literacy programs. It is a collection of organization profiles, editorials, resources, and examples of collaborative efforts between learning disability and literacy organizations. An overview of this issue is followed by an annotated list of…

This module presents a 3-hour workshop in whole language theory and practice to be used for inservice training of a small group of tutors or teachers of adult reading students. Suggested group size is 6-15 people. Part I explores the background and concepts of whole language from the point of view of the psycholinguistic model of the reading…

The Colorado Workplace Learning Initiative was organized for the following purposes: (1) to design and implement a process for public/private partnerships to address workplace literacy; (2) to establish an effective method for curriculum adaptation and development based on specific workplace needs; (3) to provide accessible, relevant, and…

A study examined information from 107 workplace literacy program descriptions from the United States and drew conclusions about joint partnerships, funding, and flexibility. Most of the program descriptions were found in an extensive search using the ERIC database. The programs described were from 1989 and 1990. Some of the findings were the…

A Unesco-sponsored conference on literacy was convened to establish a working definition for functional literacy relevant to the Caribbean; to develop strategies aimed at eradicating illiteracy by the year 2000 or achieving a substantial reduction in illiteracy; to assess skills for the production of materials for adult literacy; to develop…

This guide, designed for teachers and other workers in adult basic education, includes a variety of articles about teaching; counseling, and advocacy approaches; curriculum planning and evaluation, assessment; and program design based on personal experience. All focus on critical thinking as a teaching and learning skill. Article topics include:…