Functionally illiterate adults differ in several ways from children in a learning setting: they have a broader range of experience, they are more rigid and resistant to change, they know what they want from education, they are free to drop out at any time, they may have a long history of failure, they want to see immediate and visible progress, they may become easily discouraged, and their attempts to learn may be hampered by family or financial problems. The most important factors in literacy education are the teacher and the extent to which that teacher is able to build four components into the program: love, student self-worth, fun, and student participation in making meaningful decisions. Most dropouts occur because of poor teachers, the course content, or the scheduling and location of instruction. (TJ)