In the prevailing and traditional definition, literacy is regarded as central to helping people obtain and retain employment, which is the key to moving them from dependency toward greater self-sufficiency. Another, more valid perspective is the view that literacy is not just the acquisition of reading and writing skills but is also a social…

This digest examines reading approaches, identifies characteristics of fluent readers, and makes suggestions for developing reading instruction for adult English language learners. The reading instruction methods described include the phonics, psycholinguistic, interactive, and critical literacy approaches. Fluent readers are defined as those who…

Journals have a long history as a means of self-expression, and they can be used as learning tools in adult education. Types of journals include the reader response journal or literature log, the learning journal, the reflective journal, and the electronic journal. Journal writing offers several benefits for adult learners: journals are less…

A great deal of attention has been focused on adult literacy by policy makers, employers, unions, and state and federal government. An increasing body of work is challenging conventional assumptions and values related to literacy. The National Literacy Act of 1991 has the potential to develop an essential long-term infrastructure. Some basic…

This digest defines the concepts of "whole language,""learner-centered," and "participatory," and discusses their application to adult learning in ESL literacy programs. All three approaches advocate that the learner should inform literacy instruction with his or her own particular input, that learners and their…

Learner assessment is conducted in adult basic education and adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) educational programs for many reasons: to place learners at appropriate instructional levels; to measure ongoing progress; to qualify students for enrollment in academic or job training programs; to verify program effectiveness; and to demonstrate…

Rural community colleges have an important role to play in the economic development of their communities and in preparing community members for technological, economic, and societal changes. Community-based programming (CBP) is one tool utilized by colleges to become aware of local problems by collaborating with citizens, leaders, and…

Research has suggested that many adults choose not to participate in available literacy programs because they equate literacy education with school. Two new directions in adult literacy program development are being explored in an effort to make programs more appealing to nonparticipants. The first is connected to program content and the second…

Workplace literacy programs have been viewed as the way to raise workers' basic skills so they could perform more effectively in increasingly complex work environments. As these programs have proliferated, so have the number of issues associated with workplace literacy. Some issues are related to assumptions underlying the need for workplace…

In 1990, President George Bush and the nation's governors adopted new goals for education, including the goal that every adult American would be literate by the year 2000. During the past two decades, community colleges have played a significant role in the promotion of adult literacy. In many ways, the resources and services provided by community…

This exploration of the growing field of literacy voluntarism encompasses the literature, history, trends, and issues of the volunteer role in literacy programs. The majority of the literature is characterized as descriptive and program specific; the research is found to lack definition and theoretical foundation. The literature also reflects…

The November 1994 symposium on adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction and literacy brought together ESL, literacy, and adult education professionals to share perspectives. Two keynote addresses are summarized: "Facing the Facts of Life, Literacy, and Work" (Shirley Brice Heath), which looks at trends in the nature of work…

This collection of articles by 15 leading researchers and teachers explores the social, cognitive, and pedagogical aspects of developing biliteracy--literacy in two languages. Chapters include the following: "Inheriting Sins While Seeking Absolution: Language Diversity and National Data Sets" (Reynaldo Macias); "Sociolinguistic…

The United States confronts the problem of a large and growing prison population, the majority of which is insufficiently literate. Added to the general effects of educational disability are the marginalizing factors of ethnicity, class, socioeconomic deprivation, and other handicaps. Historically, the situation in prison literacy is 150 years of…

Family literacy programs must acknowledge the family as the primary place of learning, and developers of family literacy programs and curricula must focus on the family unit as a whole, building upon the cultural and knowledge capital of the entire family and acknowledging gender and age power relationships within the family. Educators must…