The level of functional illiteracy in the North American context, among others, appears to be reaching epidemic levels. The necessary linguistic and intellectual tools required to adequately function in our complex, highly-literate societies are not being sufficiently developed in many of our homes or schools. The findings from the present study…

A 12-step procedure was used in teaching five minimally literate, male juvenile offenders to read and interpret prototypes of road signs displaying words, and a 5-step procedure for interpreting a sign without words. All students' correct responses in reading and interpreting signs increased and were maintained during subsequent post-checks.…

Presents issues and research concerning the assessment and education of incarcerated juvenile offenders. Summarizes the special needs and problems of this population, examines programs and offender characteristics, and suggests an evaluation outline. Proposes an evaluation model for use in juvenile educational programming and offers suggestions…

Advertisements for used cars can be an aid in teaching adolescents with mild disabilities reading, writing, vocabulary, and study skills. A lesson is presented that teaches students how to interpret the abbreviations and vocabulary associated with used car advertisements, to develop car ads, and to role play the appropriate way of responding to an…

Literacy issues are discussed that affect Canadians age 15 and older who are barely literate in any language. Topics include the following: definitions of literacy; policy overviews and surveys; the impact of literacy on Canadian institutions; access for literacy learners; adult learning and classroom practice; and the plain language movement. (76…

Trained volunteers tutored youth and adults who were reading below fifth grade level. Pre- and posttest measures of reading, verbal language, listening comprehension, and locus of control were taken. Experimental subjects, but not controls, made significant gains in general reading and discrete reading subskills. Trained volunteers can ameliorate…

In order to help school-age English language learners (ELLs) develop the literacy competencies required for success at school, it is important to recognize and draw on the repertoires of literacy practices that students develop outside school. The concept of multiple literacies provides an analytic heuristic with which to consider the range of…

Reports on research probing job-related literacy demands and on programs promoting job literacy. (JT)

Describes the development and pilot testing of an interactive software lesson series designed to increase reading and writing abilities of illiterate adults and adolescents. Results of pilot studies of the High Quality Educational Program indicate the microcomputer approach to instruction combined with appropriate software offers a promising tool…

Describes a nine-step instructional sequence for teaching older disabled readers how to complete job application forms. Provides research findings in support of the program, as well as a sample employment application that includes items frequently appearing on actual job applications. (JT)

An analysis of the performance of 3,355 high school learning-disabled students on the State Student Assessment Test (part of Florida's minimum competency testing program) revealed that large numbers performed poorly on basic skills assessments. Less than half demonstrated mastery on 16 of 34 communication skills tested. (JW)

Used longitudinal data from a sample of African-American children of teenaged mothers in the Baltimore, Maryland, area to examine determinants of functional literacy in adulthood. Found that preschool cognitive and behavioral functioning predicted literacy in young adulthood. Family environmental factors that predicted literacy in young adulthood…

A mother of an adolescent daughter with blindness and learning disabilities focuses on how she helped her daughter improve reading and writing skills by finding a meaningful purpose for those skills in daily life. This article discusses early signs of learning problems, the learning environment, talking books, books in braille, technology,…