This monograph looks first at opportunities provided by research in the adult literacy field and then identifies challenges to scientific research and suggests ways to address these challenges so that better evidence can be generated in the future. It has two goals that support the building of a stronger research base for the adult literacy…

Literacy and illiteracy are cultural; the need to read, to write, and to compute comes from values placed on these functions by the cultural or social group in which one lives. They are also intergenerational. This intergenerational factor should be turned around so that parents transmit literacy to children. Illiteracy is also costly to society…

This book is designed to provide practical suggestions and teaching approaches for both administrators and instructors involved in teaching reading to adults. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "Overview"; (2) "Diagnosing Learner Characteristics"; (3) "Goals and Objectives"; (4) "Planning…

Discusses Kentucky's efforts to increase adult literacy through the New Books for New Readers program in which scholars were asked to write books emphasizing adult topics with a reading level of third to fifth grade. Describes the process through which the target audience is involved in the creation of books for the program. (KO)

In an era of rising public criticism of education and decreasing resources, strategic planning can be a major tool for educational administrators who wish to respond to the increasing challenges their adult literacy programs face. Strategic planning can be defined as a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and…

This manual is designed to serve as a step-by-step guide for managers of volunteer adult literacy sites. It discusses day-to-day responsibilities, suggests procedures, and provides forms and directions for their use. The guide is organized in four sections. Following information on the guide and background information on literacy education in…

A study examined issues of teacher professionalization within adult literacy education. Relevant research and theory on professionalization were reviewed, the historical experiences of other professional fields were examined, data on state certification requirements for adult basic education (ABE) teachers were analyzed, officials from states…

Applicable to all levels of education, the eight digests and four FAST (Focused Access to Selected Topics) bibliographies included in this special collection focus on testing and assessment in the fields of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The material in this special collection is designed for use by teachers, students, administrators,…

This report describes certain assumptions and tentative conclusions made by an Advisory Group of the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills Unit (ALBSU) about work with the mentally handicapped from a nonspecialist perspective. With the basic education organizer in mind, the report addresses six major issues. A definition of the term mentally handicapped…

This report summarizes the results of a feasibility study of the Bay Area Literacy Referral Network (BALRN), a local literacy referral system established in 1985 by the coordinators of the 13 Bay Area literacy projects, which in turn were established by the California Literacy Campaign initiated in 1983. Funded with Library Services and…

The purpose of this publication is to inform the literacy field of the effect that recent political changes in the U.S. Congress could have on the literacy and adult basic education (ABE) fields, how the various legislative processes work, and how individuals in the literacy field can participate in the legislative process. The various steps in…

This guide for school district administrators answers question about Even Start, a new, special family-centered compensatory education program funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 that combines adult literacy, parent education, and early childhood education. The following issues about program design are…

This manual contains guidelines for implementing and maintaining Workplace Skills Enhancement programs. These guidelines are intended to be a resource to adult education directors and their staffs as they work with local businesses, industries, and organizations in combating adult illiteracy. The manual is divided into the key steps in…

Describes the design, development, and implementation of an adult literacy program incorporating adult learning centers within the Brooklyn Public Library system. (CLB)

This annotated bibliography lists print, non-print, and organizational resources for use by directors and teachers of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. Citations are presented in three sections: (1) General Purpose ESL; (2) English for Specific Purposes; and (3) Teacher Resources. The first section lists basic texts and integrated…