Literacy education for children, youth, and adults in America is in critical need of reconstruction. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) keeps pace with research findings on the basic skills of these groups, yet in literacy education, these findings have not always been used to examine the effects of instructional variables on…

This article describes how the practitioners in one small adult literacy program selected particular research findings upon which to establish a core of instructional tenets. It discusses the teacher's need for such a core, useful research, and principles for adult literacy instruction. (CT)

Describes five African American women learners who were participating in a community-based General Education Development program. Argues that a lack of engagement is in part due to the "scripts" of school reading, which they have carried with them into adulthood and which alienate them from the act of reading. (SG)

We have not reached the literacy goals set by James Allen in 1969, and we will not have universal adult literacy by the year 2000, as the President and the nation's governors have projected. However, some modest gains in reading proficiency occurred in the 1970s. Focusing limited resources will help. Includes 24 references. (MLH)

Investigates various influences and reasons why non-English-speaking women working in a small goods factory in Australia chose not to participate in workplace literacy courses. Presents perceptions of the nonparticipants, the course provider, the teacher, the personnel manager, and the researcher. Discusses barriers, motivation, networks and power…

The aim of this article is to investigate the predictive capacity of major determinants of literacy proficiency that are associated with a variety of contexts including school, home, work, community and leisure. An identical structural model based on previous research is fitted to data for 18 countries. The results show that even after accounting…

Health literacy is important for all adults. Because lower health literacy is associated with lower educational attainment, many adult basic and literacy education programs increasingly provide health education to low-literate adults to improve their health literacy. Using data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), this study…

Immigrants form an important and growing part of the Canadian population. Governments recognize the need to help new immigrants integrate into Canadian society by learning to speak either English or French, and therefore offer or support Language training programs. The federal Government, through the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, runs…

This discussion paper is part of a larger Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) project entitled "Linkages: Connecting Literacy and English as a Second Language" (ESL). The goal of the overall project is for MCL to work with national organizations that support the ESL/Settlement and literacy fields to identify common issues and concerns…

The papers in this collection were developed as a basic resource for the National Commission on Adult Literacy. They reflect the ideas, insights, cautions, and recommendations of a group of 102 education and literacy leaders. These professionals were asked by a team of group leaders to respond to questions developed by Commission senior staff in…

In 1993, under contract from the National Center for Education Statistics, the Educational Testing Service assessed the literacy proficiencies of a nationally representative sample of all adults, aged 16 and over, from nearly 27,000 homes. That assessment, the National Adult Literacy Survey, produced a profile of the English literacy skills of the…

This study evaluated an innovative family literacy program in Bullitt County, KY, USA. Data sources included attendance sign-in sheets, pre- and post TABE test scores, GED success, gender, age, and ethnicity, and grant applications. The evidence suggested that since 1998, the program increasingly attracted proportionally more males, GED completion…

Presents the attitudes and literacy practices of fathers with low literacy or limited academic achievement. Includes their attitudes toward the importance of literacy activities, the value of education, and their aspirations for themselves and their children. Reveals insights on the attitudes and literacy practices of two low-literate fathers with…

Compares two approaches to teaching reading to adults: the eclectic, research-based method of Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) and the phonics-based Laubach Literacy International. Concludes that LVA has the advantages of adaptability to student differences, a thorough evaluation system, and a superior published reading series. (SK)

A research study on the use of technology on Australian literacy programs for adults is reported. Questions were directed to administrators (e.g., objectives, outcomes) teachers (e.g., appropriateness, flexibility, portability), and adult learners (e.g., expectations, needs, feedback). The resulting rating scales were used for specific…