In the past, it has not been possible to "teach oneself to read" at home, because learners could not read the books to teach them. Videos and interactive compact discs have changed that situation and challenge current assumptions of the pedagogy of literacy. This article describes an experimental adult literacy project using video…

This article shares the research-based instructional techniques used in a reading program (Reading Acceleration Program, or RAP) in a school in which the majority of the students were English-language learners and came from low-income families. In this model, special education and general education teachers collaborated in order to intervene on…

This Winter 2005 issue of "Learners in Action" contains the following: (1) Proud Dad Turns Family Life Around (Nick Prince); (2) Learners Make a Great Impression at Conference; (3) The Story behind the Story; and (4) Learner Resources.

New Literacy Studies is the theoretical basis for this research, providing a social view of literacy. Recent work in New Literacy Studies has extended further the notion of literacy and demonstrated the ways in which people engage in practices in their everyday lives that do not always get translated into their studies. This article draws on…

Learning to read in English is difficult for adult English language learners. Teachers know that their learners come from diverse backgrounds, have different experiences with literacy in their first languages, and have various reasons for learning English. They also know that there is no simple recipe to help their students become proficient…

A primary goal of publicly funded adult education programs in the United States is to help adults increase their reading skills so their educational, vocational, and personal goals are more attainable. Adult education teachers are challenged with providing effective reading instruction for a diverse group of adults who have widely varying reading…

This Summer 2005 issue of "Learners in Action" contains the following articles: (1) Bridging Barriers to Learning (Glenn Kissman); (2) Education Really Is a Family Affair; (3) Sabrina's Story; (4) SARAW Helps Students Find Their Voice; (5) Literacy Changes Lives; and (6) Seeing STARs in Alberta.

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL), introduces "Developing a New Course for Adult Learners," edited by Marguerite Ann Snow and Lia Kamhi-Stein. This volume in TESOL's Language Curriculum Development Series presents the stories of teachers, curriculum developers, and administrators from all over the world who…

The title of the twenty-eighth yearbook mirrors the theme of the 2005 conference--"Learning in the 21st Century with Traditional and Electronic Literacies." The editors chose the title "Multiple Literacies in the 21st Century" in an attempt to reflect the contents of this yearbook which seem to approach literacy from a myriad…

Reading is the most basic of skills. Reading provides access to other skills and knowledge, facilitates life-long learning, and opens doors to opportunity. The National Institute for Literacy is authorized by the U.S. Congress to collect and disseminate information on the components of reading and the findings from scientific research. The…

"EFF HOT (Highlights on Teaching Topics) Topics" is a publication of the EFF (Equipped for the Future) Center for Training and Technical Assistance. Each issue concentrates on a specific topic, highlighting examples of actual practice and offering strategies and tools for using EFF in the classroom. In this issue, "HOT Topics" focuses on the EFF…

The National Reading Conference (NRC) Yearbook represents an archive of conference reports that have undergone the rigorous review that research demands, as well as an indicator of topics, ideas and concerns that occupied participants during the annual conference. With this 52nd volume of the Yearbook, the editors hope the reader finds a broad…

Television has been seen by some as an enemy of literacy and by others as a tool for enhancing literacy. It has been used to arouse public awareness through national campaigns, to instruct in basic skills, and to motivate potential learners to seek education. According to the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), adults with limited literacy…

In the spring of 1998 the National Research Council released a report, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children for Adult Learning and Literacy (PRD). PRD was written with the goal of contributing to the prevention of reading difficulties by documenting the contributions of research to an understanding of reading development and the…

Having low literacy skills could impact everything from reading a newspaper and balancing a checkbook to wise consumer decisions and job advancement. This study estimates adult literacy measures for Cuyahoga County, Ohio and its municipalities. It is also important to have a sense of how many children are at risk for developing literacy problems…