This newsletter issue focuses entirely on classroom instruction in adult basic education (ABE) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. The first article, "Whole Language and Adult Literacy Education" (Kazemek), describes 10 principles of holistic language education and how they may be translated into actual classroom practice.…

Reading and writing plays can be a good way to learn reading, listening, and writing skills. This paper contains suggestions for using plays in adult literacy courses. Ideas are given for reading and writing plays, including developing a plot and characters, drafting a script, and editing and finalizing a script. Various methods of transcribing…

This guide explains how to plan, develop, and conduct a writing workshop for literacy volunteers who will be working with beginning readers. The workshop has been developed to introduce literacy volunteers to the idea of writing original supplementary reading materials, give them experience in writing with a controlled vocabulary and strict…

Any discussion of English as a Second Language (ESL) literacy should address three critical areas: who the learners are, what is to be taught, and how the literacy skills are to be taught. Three distinct groups of students can be classified as "non-literate" in their own language: pre-literates, illiterates, and semi-literates. Two approaches are…

This book is a guide to teaching English vocabulary to second-language learners. The book is divided into 30 chapters that teach 240 critical words. This vocabulary includes what English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL), adult literacy, and pre-general equivalency diploma students need to get ahead in today's competitive world. The guide's distinctive…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, focuses on dealing with stress on the job and in daily life in the United States. Topics covered include the following: analyzing one's schedule and listing stressful times; applying four…

This module, which may be used as the basis for a workshop or as a special topic unit in adult basic education or English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses, discusses how to become involved in the communities and advocate with neighbors for needs. Topics covered include the following: researching and analyzing information; preparing a survey…

This document, which was written for adult educators in Georgia, offers instructional plans and practical strategies for helping students in adult literacy, adult basic education (ABE), General Educational Development, and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) programs understand the credit traps that can hurt them. The document begins with a…

When teaching writing to adult learners, teachers must achieve a balance between "content" and "mechanics." The first step is to assign "real" writing for "real" purposes. The next step is to teach the writing process more than the product and teach the place that correct "mechanics" (spelling,…

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 publication provides curriculum ideas for the mathematical stream of the Certificates of General Education (CGE) for Adults in Victoria, Australia. It is intended to support people developing numeracy or basic mathematics courses in adult literacy and basic education. An introduction defines numeracy, describes the accreditation framework for…

This curriculum guide for a public literacy course uses letters to the editor as a way of introducing adult literacy and basic education students to public debate. It consists of three parts. Part 1 is an introduction that provides background, describes how to analyze letters, and details the course structure. Part 2 is a comprehensive teacher's…

This guide provides a description of Responsive Text (RT), a method for presenting job-relevant information within a computer-based support system. A summary of what RT is and why it is important is provided first. The first section of the guide provides a brief overview of what research tells about the reading process and how the general design…

This guide contains 15 learning activities that can be used in parenting classes, especially for adults with limited literacy skills. Activities include quotations for discussion and suggestions for conducting group discussions and writing lessons. The following activities are included: interpreting quotations about raising children; positive…

This report describes a project to develop a tutor training model for teaching adults who manifested signs of learning disabilities. A needs assessment was done by surveying previously trained tutors. Existing adult literacy materials and instructional materials specifically developed for individuals with learning disabilities were reviewed and…