Documents produced for three separate conferences that were convened to discuss the aims and methods of English instruction in the past century demonstrate the pedagogical shift from a "formal" concept of literacy to a more functional one. An 1896 conference at Harvard University reviewed secondary school and college English instruction during the…

Reviews Experience Mayhew's book, "Indian Converts" (1727) and changing scholarly interpretations of literacy effects on Native Americans living on Martha's Vineyard. Traces the history of the Mayhew missionary family from 1641 to the 1720s and the establishment of the Indian Library. Examines the cultural implications of literacy and…

Intended for educators, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the nation's reading skills, this booklet draws on four recent reports in the Nation's Report Card series, which are based on findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The first chapter discusses two important components of literacy--the ability to achieve a…

This book presents 22 personal narratives in which library directors, program administrators, teachers, tutors, librarians, and adult learners explain firsthand how literacy programs at libraries across the United States have changed people's lives. The following narratives are included: "Gloria's Story: 'She Wanted Me to Be Somebody'";…