This document traces the history of volunteerism in the literacy field, discusses the current role and use of volunteers, and assesses the potential and the limits of volunteerism as a current and future means for overcoming illiteracy in the United States. (The major conclusion is that the current delivery system of literacy activities can go no…

An executive report summarizes the Alberta Vocational Centre's development of a portable individualized, competency-based learning system for use in an adult basic education program in a non-institutional community location. The report deals with the project's rationale, development (including management, curricular development, budget, and site…

The primary purpose of this bibliography is to stimulate active communication of research needs and findings among researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers concerned with adult functional literacy. By topically arranging and briefly annotating significant research articles on functional literacy, this Guide introduces some of the major issues…

Adult literacy programs must provide individuals with the essential knowledge and skills which enable them to function effectively within their environments. The goal of adult literacy programs must be to enable students to become less dependent on others, which is also the goal of most adult students. Administrators of adult literacy programs…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of participation in adult basic education on changes in selected non-cognitive attributes: anomia, self-concept, and internal-external control of environment. Two subsidiary problems were to examine the differences in levels of anomia, self-concept, and internal-external control of…

Current definitions of illiteracy and functional illiteracy are reviewed, and their relationship both to estimates of the scope of the problem and to efforts toward its solution are discussed. Applying functional standards according to the requisites of particular societies, it can be seen that even countries with high literacy rates, such as the…

Efforts to substantially reduce adult illiteracy in the United States have been largely unsuccessful. The purpose of this study was to obtain a basic word list, based on oral vocabulary of adult black illiterates in two urban centers, which could subsequently be used to develop basic education reading materials, reading tests, and a readability…

The objectives of this three day seminar were to increase the knowledge about the functionally illiterate adult and his characteristics, research about non-reading adults, materials available for them, public library services and programs for illiterate adults as well as basic adult education activities offered by schools and other community…

Ways that literacy and numeracy can be integrated into adult basic education classes are discussed. A class of six adult students learning language and mathematics in the context of the federal election illustrates the effectiveness of integrated teaching. (Contains 12 references.) (LB)

Examines mistakes in following instructions in an electronics factory. Explores the significance of the mistakes and a range of explanations for why they occur. Offers an expansive definition of what it means to be a literate, skills-rich worker, and urges vigilance against the tendency in both schools and workplaces to label and mislabel. (SC)

This report on what can and should be done to raise the literacy rate in Louisiana recommends that: (1) a state literacy office be established under the office of the governor to coordinate and facilitate the state's literacy programs; (2) a standard operational definition of literacy be established; (3) a Louisiana Literacy Foundation be…

This document is the final report of the first year's operation of a project designed to train literacy and adult education providers and organizations in business, industry, and labor to develop and implement effective workplace literacy programs. The program, which operates in Pennsylvania on the state and regional levels, initiates the…

This article is devoted to explaining the use and misuse of standardized tests in adult literacy programs. Among the topics covered on that subject are why the tests are of such interest among adult educators: because the authority vested in these tests can determine the way programs are developed, what is taught, the climate of teaching and…

This document describes the 10 winners of the 1990 ABLE Award, which recognizes outstanding adult students in Pennsylvania adult basic and literacy education programs. The award, given for achievement based on learning excellence (ABLE), is presented by the Pennsylvania Division of Adult Basic and Literacy Education Programs. The winners are…