A study described and analyzed the uses of literacy at school, home, and work of two working adults labeled functionally illiterate, as measured by a score of 5.0 or less on a standardized reading test. Data were collected over an 18-month period by observation at five sites, which included the classroom, work sites, and homes of the participants.…

This ERIC/RCS Special Collection contains two ERIC Digests (brief syntheses of the research on a specific topic in contemporary education) and nine FAST Bibs (Focused Access to Selected Topics--annotated bibliographies with selected entries from the ERIC database), providing up-to-date information in an accessible format. The collection focuses on…

A comprehensive profile of the adult learner and his or her literacy performance was educed by examining factors that are manifestations of both the formal school experience and the environment. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the tenability of 10 research hypotheses that each included one of the 10 literacy subtests of the…

A study examined the characteristics of those individuals who participate in New York City's adult literacy programs. Interviews were conducted with 32 native-born U.S. citizens (native speakers of English) who had enrolled in a literacy program for the first time and had been reading somewhere up to the 4.9 grade level at the time they entered…

The book contains 15 papers focusing on adult illiteracy in Great Britain in the context of the community, but excluding the prison population, trainees at Adult Training Centres, patients in mental hospitals, or literacy education in the armed forces. The papers are presented in three sections. Part 1 on students contains six papers: "The…

Utilizing Michael Polanyi's theory of knowledge as a framework, the author outlines an approach in which illiterate adults might increase their motivation and chances of success in developing reading skill. (EM)

An emerging theme in professional development for adult literacy program staff over the past decade has been the topic of learning disabilities (LD). As adult educators have come to recognize that the effects of LD can play a significant role in the performance and retention of adult learners, many have sought answers to the following questions:…

A study was conducted to identify the literacy needs of adults with disabilities and to examine the extent to which these needs are being met by community-based adult basic literacy programs in the metropolitan Toronto, Ontario, Canada area. Data for the study were gathered through questionnaires used to interview 15 potential adult learners with…

This two-page lesson plan for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) uses a children's book ("Jip: His Story,"' by Katherine Paterson) to provide an integrated learning experience for students. The lesson plan includes a synopsis of the story and general suggestions for using the story in a basic skills class. It also…

A case study is reported of a mature-aged Aboriginal woman who acquired the academic literacy necessary for participation in university education. It suggests the possibility that members of marginalized minority groups can acquire the literacy practices of the dominant society without becoming complicit in them. (Contains 19 references.) (LB)

Maintains that, to reach the many adult nonreaders who resist established literacy programs, the values that these programs espouse must conform to the learners' own beliefs and not be rooted in the status quo. (SR)

Describes how three tutors helped an adult progress from a nonreader to a competent and enthusiastic reader, using an approach rooted in whole-language research and practice. (SR)

Relates the experience of a middle school reading teacher who also teaches a weekly general equivalency diploma (GED) class to adult learners. Describes two of her most memorable adult students, and notes how working with adult learners has helped the author appreciate their persistence and desire to learn, and has helped her with her middle…

Mexican immigrants working at a wholesale nursery were involved in developing user instructions for a computer-based instruction system. Sixty-one Latinos with 0 to 16 years of education completed user instructions delivered on the computer, and all but 3 completed training content about the nursery. Based on objective criteria, program use was…

This book examines the ideas of two radical heroes of adult education: Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) and Paulo Freire (1921-1997). The book is organized into six chapters. Chapter 1 introduces both men and their influences on adult education. Chapter 2 examines Gramsci's educative concept of politics, focusing on his concepts of hegemony and the…