"Choices" is a collection of 13 stories that George Ella Lyon, a writer of children's books, wrote specifically for adult new readers after conferring with adult basic education students in Kentucky. Although the individual stories are written from various people's points of view, they all tell of the dreams, hopes, and lives of working class…

The authors review current practices in writing instruction in adult literacy classes. They observe that students spend little time writing. Innovative teaching activities are mentioned. They discuss goals of writing instruction and how to adapt present practices to meet the writing requirements of the General Educational Development Test. (CH)

Most instructional efforts in literacy education are aimed at helping learners acquire literacy skills and strategies that will enable them to deal with any text. Readers learn to read by reading, however, so it is important that readers have successful experiences with reading. Success can be fostered by careful selection of reading materials.…

This bibliography lists 585 books suitable for children or adult new readers, classified into the following themes: (1) African American Experience; (2) Appalachia; (3) architecture and engineering; (4) art; (5) communities and change; (6) death; (7) family; (8) farm life; (9) geography; (10) history of Ohio; (11) history of the United States;…

The concept of family literacy is firmly rooted in a substantial research base from several disciplines: adult literacy, emergent literacy, child development, and systems analysis. Research from these disciplines was reviewed to determine the benefits of family literacy. The results show that family literacy programs do work and that at least four…

Intended for teachers of adult literacy, these teaching ideas for the book, "What Jamie Saw," begin with a summary and introductory notes for this book on abuse and its effects on children. Teaching ideas include such suggestions as asking students to write down powerful sentences, to jot notes in their journals about specified units, and to place…

This paper, which is intended to assist adult literacy practitioners interested in conducting research about their programs, discusses the four stages of the action research process: identifying questions to guide the research, collecting information to answer the questions, analyzing the information collected, and sharing the results with others.…

Formative, in-process evaluation results can be used to refine or "fine tune" Even Start programs. The assumption is that the programs have obtained comprehensive and appropriate empirical data on the assessment of the program as a whole as well as its specific goals. This six-step model uses evaluation data to improve program delivery.…

To investigate the initial experiences of the various Even Start programs in Ohio following approval and funding, a project developed a survey instrument and sent it to Even Start program directors. The survey asked directors open-ended questions aimed at getting a general description of each program and a discussion of the issues and concerns…

To investigate the initial experiences of the various Even Start programs, a project developed a survey that was sent to program coordinators in Ohio. It asked open-ended questions to get descriptions and perceptions of situations that preceded turning point events and the turning point events themselves. Data from eight programs highlighted their…

Some adult learners and teachers have negative memories of their previous encounters with poetry because too much emphasis was placed on the poem's "intent" or dissecting poems to determine their rhyme schemes. However, poetry can be an effective complement to instruction in adult literacy classrooms and can serve as an effective instructional…

This booklet contains nine 1-hour training sessions related to the components of family literacy programs. Each session may stand alone or be used in combination with any other. This provides trainers with the flexibility to base workshops on participants' needs and interests. Titles for the sessions include: (1) the process of literacy learning;…

A panel of experts from a variety of disciplines was convened to advise policymakers about what is known about instructional effectiveness in adult and family literacy situations. The panel concluded that, although little research examining instructional effectiveness in family and adult literacy programs is available, a great deal of "best…

The concept of family literacy is firmly rooted in a substantial research base from several disciplines, including adult literacy, emergent literacy, child development, and systems analysis. Results from a review of research from each discipline found answers to questions about benefits of family literacy. Results show family literacy programs do…

This paper reviews and synthesizes reports about family literacy programs and practices, focusing on outcomes for adult learners. Emphasis is on resources available in the ERIC database beginning in 1990. Section 1 on programs reviews sometimes conflicting definitions of family literacy and finds that a common thread is strengthening…