In these publications of the National Reading Center, several organizations which aid illiterate adults in learning reading skills are described. The purpose, clients, activities, and programs are discussed for the National Association for Public Continuing and Adult Education (NAPCAE), American Library Association - Adult Service Division, Adult…

Britain's three-year literacy effort has brought together the federal government, a national broadcasting network, and the voluntary sector in a program that pioneered new methods of teaching basic literacy. Volunteer tutors are used in an educational television venture sponsored by the BBC and the newly-created Adult Literacy Resource Agency.…

Results of two experiments investigating phonological skills of illiterate, unschooled adults and formerly illiterate, unschooled adults from shantytowns in Portugal suggest that learning to read, though not strictly necessary, plays a decisive role in the development of the ability of many individuals to focus on phonological length of…

This study examined intake records from 114 students enrolled in literacy training. Several variables obtained at intake were found to be related to persistence. Dropouts tended to (1) be young and Hispanic, (2) not be seeking high school equivalency certification, (3) be unemployed but available for work, and (4) have other illiterate family…

In Canadian society there are people who are totally illiterate, and they are all the more conscious of their illiteracy as a personal weakness because most of the population is literate. Literacy teaching and practices in Canada are discussed. Illiteracy in Canada and in the third world is also compared. (RM)

Discussion of illiteracy in Australia: (1) statistical evidence on the incidence of adult illiteracy, (2) explanations for illiteracy, and (3) possible solutions to combat illiteracy. (ABM)

Outlines a program offered by the University of Nigeria that emphasizes the need for adult education and shows how this program can be made available to all those that might find it beneficial. (Author/LF)

Identifies the immensity of the illiteracy problem, enumerates who are the functional illiterates, and explains what is being done by voluntary organizations such as Literacy Volunteers of America to eradicate it. Literacy Volunteers of New York City, the problem of financial support, and national awareness and progress are highlighted. (EJS)

Discussion of program established in 1977 by the Queens Borough Public Library and Literacy Volunteers of New York to combat the problem of adult illiteracy notes recruitment, training and retention of tutors, student intake procedure, cooperation with community organizations, special programs (math, writing, adult basic education), and program…

An inquiry into the state of adult education in Latin America revealed great interest and a wide variety of programs seeking to reduce adult illiteracy. Significant problems in developing and implementing programs are the linguistic pluralism of the countries involved, and a variety of educational philosophies. (MSE)

Illiterate immigrant adults (n=14) in France were assessed on ability to master three metalinguistic tasks: judgment of phonological length of words, initial consonant deletion, and lexical segmentation of sentences. Performance of illiterates and partial illiterates dramatically improved after training which involved corrective feedback and…

Discussion of synthesized speech and voice recognition focuses on a forum that addressed the potential for speech technologies in libraries. Topics discussed by three contributors include possible library applications in technical processing, book receipt, circulation control, and database access; use by disabled and illiterate users; and problems…

When children of literate elite need help, their parents can furnish what school has missed. When children of print poor need help, they have nowhere to turn. To break the illiteracy cycle, schools must help parents understand how to help their children at home. Sidebars describe the Megaskills program and show how teachers can foster family…

A consideration of the Arab world illustrates the fact that there can be riches and "growth" with slow or stagnating human development and with significant levels of poverty, and that growth might "perhaps" be an engine of human development if there is "good governance." Good governance refers to the existence of…