Functional literacy for inmates is that critical threshold in learning which enables a person to become an autonomous individual capable of reflecting on his/her circumstances and transforming the self and behavior. Once on 'the outside,' the conditions which led to incarceration can hopefully be recognized and avoided. (Author)

Lists and describes the criteria used by the Toronto Public Library in selecting basic reading materials for functional illiterates. (CHC)

The study of the Functional Literacy Program in India encountered problems of opposition to evaluation, inappropriate respondents, and difficulties in contacting participants, which point to changes that should be made in the evaluation methods. (SK)

Examines the performance of Moroccan children on a series of common household literacy tasks, and whether their performance on these tasks was related to school literacy skills, school experience, and other factors. Finds that although the children had learned many skills relevant to household literacy tasks, they demonstrated only partial…

A survey of 53 probation services in England and Wales and visits to 13 revealed unsystematic provision of literacy services in correctional rehabilitation, conflicting perspectives on how literacy should be defined and taught, and ambivalence about the role of probation officers as punitive or preventive. (SK)

The functional literacy discourse ignores the ideological role of literacy in society and enables workers to be blamed for poor economic performance. A more meaningful concept of literacy at work includes understanding workplaces as communities of practice and inclusion of the voices and experiences of workers. (SK)

A test measuring document, prose, and quantitative literacy of out-of-school youth in Guyana found that only 11% had high levels of functional literacy, a literacy rate much lower than usually reported. Failure to represent the situation accurately prolongs the lack of political will to deal with the issue. (SK)

Compares three perspectives on contextual literacy and gives examples of program settings with which each is philosophically congruent: (1) literacy as social practices, focused on use in daily life; (2) functional context literacy, mastery of concrete tasks embedded in environments; and (3) critical literacy, analysis of oppression and use of…

The first of two articles addressing the issue of user documentation for computer software discusses the need to teach users how to read documentation. The second presents a guide for writing documentation that is based on the instructional systems design model, and makes suggestions for the desktop publishing of user manuals. (CLB)

Describes the literacy training provided by the Armed Forces as both minimal and dehumanizing, with an overriding emphasis on training young, disadvantaged recruits to perform necessary tasks without any thought or analysis. (GC)

Points out that reading has to be made something that those learning to read want to do, now, and in the future, and argues that people who can read should help those who cannot. (EL)

Comments on literacy data gathered from several surveys and questions whether students are developing sufficient literacy skills. (AEA)

Functional literacy has been emphasized over traditional literacy in recent decades. Although functional literacy is desirable if it is organized with success and effectiveness, it rarely is implemented this way. More attention to traditional literacy is thus warranted. (SK)

The entire deaf prison population in the state of Texas formed the basis for this research. The linguistic skills of prison inmates were assessed using the following measures: (1) Kannapell's categories of bilingualism, (2) adaptation of the diagnostic criteria for Primitive Personality Disorder, (3) reading scores on the Test of Adult Basic…

The functional literacy movement has emphasized the ability to read job-related materials as a major occupational/functional skill. Various studies, by the Educational Testing Service and others, have supported the contention that the ability to read is a fundamental vocational skill in American society. (CH)