Argues that there is no convincing proof from empirical evidence that standards of literacy in Western Australia are worse than they were 25 to 65 years ago. Denounces empirical measures of standards of literacy as profoundly unreliable. (AEA)

Points out that reading has to be made something that those learning to read want to do, now, and in the future, and argues that people who can read should help those who cannot. (EL)

In the last decade many people have questioned the long-range effectiveness of literacy education in America. The response to this discussion about the "literacy crisis" has been the growth of three commonly held generalizations: (1) that in previous eras, Americans enjoyed remarkable levels of literacy; (2) that the role of print has been…

Examines various approaches that have been taken to promote literacy and makes a plea for more research to clarify issues that will permit more useful definitions of literacy and more productive approaches to developing and enhancing literacy among youth and adults. (HOD)

The task of providing the tools of basic literacy for all citizens is still unfinished in the United States, as well as on an international scale. No longer can the developed and underdeveloped worlds relate as mentor and learner; the United States has much to learn from the great work in literacy and basic education performed in lesser developed…

Discusses the current state of literacy and suggests that there is a renaissance of interest in the teaching of rhetoric and composition. (AEA)

Calls into question whether the role of literacy and the function of schooling is to accommodate economic, social, and political structures. Examines multiple viewpoints of literacy and the difficulty of constructing a concept of literacy appropriate for diverse persons and changing circumstances. (SK)

Discusses differing meanings of literacy implicit in three metaphors, each rooted in assumptions about the social motivations for literacy, the nature of existing literacy practices, and judgments about which practices are critical for individual and social enhancement. Provides a study of the social meaning of literacy in a traditional society.…

Examines contemporary "technocratic" and "progressive" approaches to literacy. Discusses "functional literacy" in relation to the classical model of "high literacy." Suggests research be guided by considerations of contextual factors influencing acquisition and use of literate abilities and organized in…

A report and recommendations endorsed by the New York State School Boards Association concerning the problem of functionally illiterate students leaving school are presented as an official position paper. Recommendations are made in the areas of local action, action to be undertaken by the commissioner of education, state action, federal action,…

Reports on the extent of illiteracy in the United States and explores various definitions of literacy. (GT)

The retention factor of literacy must be the target variable in any projection of literacy programs of the future. Further, the success of literacy programs of the future is contingent upon the resolution of three major problem areas: (1) the concept of literacy; (2) the programs of literacy; and (3) the politics of literacy. A concept of literacy…

A more flexible definition of literacy combines oral literacy, which focuses on the concrete, with written literacy, which is abstract. For W. Ong, F. DeAngelo, A. R. Luria, and others who have done research on oral and written cultures, their central concern is one of defining and describing the kind and form of consciousness that is represented…

The position that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides a data base that is compatible with various definitions of literacy and standards of competencies and can make a contribution to our understanding of the complex and controversial problem of literacy is supported in this paper. The paper notes that since the NAEP has…

Traces the origins of the literacy tradition in indigenous African cultures to the use of the tools of literacy by two black social activists--W.E.B. Dubois and Malcolm X. Also stresses the relationship of literacy to social action, self-education, and liberation of the mind. (AEW)