Access to lifelong learning opportunities has long been discussed in terms of the economic benefits conferred by access to and engagement in further education by members of the labor force, particularly within the global knowledge economy. However, equitable access to lifelong education opportunities, particularly for low-skilled adults in the…

Learners with dyslexia are likely to be over-represented in adult literacy classes because of the convergence in perceptions, causes and understanding of literacy problems and dyslexia. Given the great amount of apprehension about practitioners' and policy makers' understanding of dyslexia itself, it is important to carry out an exploration of the…

This essay offers a commentary on how the relationship between language and literacy practices in and out of school has been conceptualized. It draws upon two new books in the field. Shirley Brice Heath's new book, "Words at Work and Play: Three Decades in Family and Community Life," which makes use of rich ethnographic accounts of…

This paper uncovers the dynamics of the twin processes of the construction of identity and the contextualisation of learning in adult literacy education by documenting the spatial practices of students and tutors. The paper mobilises the concepts of localising and globalising activities to make two interrelated arguments. Firstly, analysis of…

Understanding the origins of poor literacy and numeracy skills in adulthood and how to improve them is of major importance when society places a high premium on proficiency in these basic skills. This edited collection brings together the results of recent longitudinal studies that greatly extend our knowledge of what works in raising skill…

Since the early 1970s adult literacy projects and classes have developed and published student writing in the UK. Early practitioners responded to the dearth of suitable learning materials and aimed to nurture hidden voices "from below" through a democratic educational process. Based on reading student written publications as well as…

The National Year of Reading, launched in January, is intended "offer the chance to create a network of activity and engagement, which will move the literacy agenda to the next level and lead to a lasting legacy in attitudes, activity and participation, and put in place the building blocks for systemic change..." The people behind…

"I am shortlisting a candidate with GCSE in English and another with Level 2 in Literacy; does it mean they have the same skill at the same level? Also what is Key Skills in Communication? I am confused!" There are many different qualifications available in the lifelong learning sector and it is not always easy to see how they relate to…

Background: Incentives have been proposed as a method to improve attendance in adult literacy classes. In the UK, several areas have piloted the use of incentives to promote attendance at adult literacy classes. To date no rigorous evaluation of this policy has been undertaken. This paper describes (as far as we are aware) the "only"…

Purpose: The purpose of this document is to provide an annotated bibliography on best practices for late entry learners into college academic upgrading programs. It is intended for practitioners, administrators, and researchers and others with an interest in this field. Method: This annotated bibliography synthesizes sources related to late entry…

This document presents a total of 48 references and annotations of works published after 1995 that are in some way related to the topic of adult literacy, learning disabilities, and technology. The first part of the document presents annotations of 30 online articles, journal articles, books, and book articles devoted to the following topics:…

This document presents a total of 109 references and annotations of works that are in some way related to the topic of math for learning and life. Section 1 presents 68 annotated references with keywords drawn from the Canadian Literacy Thesaurus. Selected topics covered in the listed publications are as follows: numeracy as social practice; the…

This document, which is designed to assist managers, trainers, or assessors in work-based provision across the United Kingdom, shares the experiences of five work-based learning providers that sought to improve their initial assessment processes. Section 1 explains the purpose of initial assessment and presents guidelines for evaluating intake…

Among 8 French and 36 English papers are the following: "Confronting the Self in Research" (Baskett); "Learning Processes as They Occur in Groups" (Becker, Hill); "La pensee critique a-t-elle un sexe?" (Bedard, Ouellette); "The Effect of Literacy on Income and Duration of Employment" (Blunt); "Graduate…

This guide, which is intended for British further education staff who work with special needs learners, examines the use of information and learning technology (ILT) to improve special needs learners' literacy. Part 1 discusses how information technology resources originally developed for mainstream programs can make information and learning…