The primary goal of the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) is to describe the types and levels of literacy skills possessed by adults living in the United States and the distribution of these skills across major subgroups of the population. To conduct the NALS, 175 trained interviewers employed by the Educational Testing Service will interview…

Intended for trainers of literacy providers and practitioners in the field, this manual explains how to develop a workplace literacy program and market it to employers. Chapter 1 provides an overview and history of workplace literacy and recommends improvements in literacy services. Chapter 2 examines approaches to developing workplace programs,…

This is a guide designed for professionals who need to assess the literacy ability of adults. The three general categories of literacy skills which are distinguished include generic literacy skills, everyday skills, and job-related skills. Functional literacy has been defined in various ways, therefore, the assessment of it is very difficult. The…

This guide is designed to provide secondary teachers and administrators with the information necessary to adapt or develop a functional curriculum for children and youth who display academic difficulties. (A functional curriculum teaches functional skills in the most appropriate setting for specific skill acquisition.) It provides suggestions of…

As part of the development of a functional literacy test for fourth through eigth grade children in Title I compensatory education programs, this report defines functional literacy for children and enumerates criteria for evaluating existing tests. Criteria for selection of a test include: (1) content, empirical, and construct validity; (2)…

The result of interviews with literacy coordinators and library directors of literacy programs in representative libraries throughout Pennsylvania, this document encourages local libraries to develop adult literacy activities as an integral component of basic library service and provides program planners with guidelines and suggestions for…

This document, intended for Literacy Volunteers of America tutors, explains how to carry out collaborative small group tutoring. Chapter 1 explains the benefits of small group tutoring and collaborative learning. Chapter 2 tells what factors to consider when forming a small group (e.g., whether there is a desire to be in a small group, the…

This third of three manuals providing a curriculum for students with disabilities focuses on the development of functional academic skills. An introductory chapter provides an overview of the curriculum and offers guidelines for developing instructional plans for the following three units of study. Unit 1 is on the development of functional…

This training manual is designed for use by volunteers, tutors, teachers, and education and training program coordinators who wish to adapt basic literacy instructional skills to street youth. It is not intended to be a stand-alone training program for new volunteer tutors. Major goals are the following: (1) to re-engage street youth in the…

This document explains various approaches to diagnosing learning disabilities in adults learning to read and approaches to teaching these adults. Following an introduction, the first three sections answer the questions What are learning disabilities? How do learning disabilities affect reading? and How is a learning disability diagnosed? A section…

Workplace literacy and basic skills may be defined as skills needed by employees at work: reading, writing, math, and problem solving. Workplace literacy and skill requirements are based on the needs of each workplace and its workers. These skills are important because the work force needs to be highly skilled and adaptable to compete in a global…

This publication describes basic skills improvement programs and activities ongoing throughout the United States. The guide is organized into two sections. The first section contains program descriptions and hands-on materials from 25 elementary and secondary programs across the nation that have been selected for inclusion in the National…

This notebook contains materials for a workshop to teach participants how to address the needs of youth and adults for improved literacy, employability, and productivity. Chapter 1 provides information about the current state of youth and adult literacy, employability, and productivity in the United States. Chapter 2 presents a conceptual…

This publication presents information on 53 basic skills programs in Wisconsin that were identified as successful by the planning committee for the Governor's Conference on Basic Skills. Programs focus on mathematics, reading, writing, computer-assisted instruction, basic skills approaches, learning centers, career education, adult literacy,…

This resource guide contains learning activities designed to complement existing ABE curricula or become the cornerstone of an ABE curriculum integrating reading, writing, and math skills with practical life knowledge. The guide begins with an introduction, acknowledgments, and an overview of Colorado's Certificate of Accomplishment program, which…