Jobs in the future will demand a more skilled and literate work force than we have. One solution to the basic skills problem lies in job-related, accomplishment-focused programs that benefit the organization and the employee. (JOW)

The author describes a workplace literacy program designed by the Milwaukee SER-Jobs for Progress, Inc. for Res Manufacturing Company. This program enabled Res Manufacturing to upgrade its employees' basic skills, increase productivity, and eliminate the need for layoffs. (CH)

Discusses the basic skills training program instituted for the nonexempt work force at First Chicago Corporation, the 10th-largest bank holding company in the United States. Presents the rationale for the program and describes the successful training efforts in place at the bank. (JOW)

An adult educator without a background in math cotaught the subject to adults in continuing education. The intense learning-by-doing experience gave her insight into adult learning. (JOW)

Adults need both functional math skills (numeracy) and knowledge of mathematical concepts for full participation in society. Development of critical numeracy skills should take account of differing skill levels and the coping strategies adults already use. (SK)

Explores how insights of the 1970s are being lost, namely, those about why and how the academy thinks about basic writing and students deemed "illiterate" or "remedial." Examines a discourse that the author calls Basic Writing and how it has marginalized basic writing courses, teachers, and students. (TB)

Young British adults (n=47) identified situations for which they needed basic skills and barriers to skill development: low self-confidence, negative learning attitudes, peer pressure, cost, and scheduling. Results suggested the importance of grounding basic skills in everyday contexts; offering accessible classes, small groups, and individual…

Evaluated the criterion-related validity of one state's basic skills requirements for teacher licensure. All 186 participants met the basic requirements when enrolled as teacher education students, but the reading scores of 77 participants and the mathematics scores of 67 did not meet the state's current requirement. Findings provide no…

Definitions of literacy range from school-based models to functional skills to social constructivist approaches. Assessment practices reflect particular definitions. Literacy practitioners are encouraged to adopt a social constructivist worldview that challenges the current skills-based model for accountability. (Author/SK)

Volleyball, by its very nature, is a difficult game to play. Players at all ages have a hard time hitting the ball to their intended targets, resulting in rallies that rarely last more than one or two hits. The resulting game, then, is slow paced and boring, with a lot of standing around and little activity time. In an attempt to ease the…

Courage and the ability to respond heroically do not suddenly appear in youth or adults. These qualities are built in small step-by-step increments. Courage is persevering despite fear. It is gumption, grit, and the capacity to get up after a setback, with one's heart on fire. Courage finds its roots in two fundamental skills learned during early…

This article describes a project to improve the health and quality of life of minority ethnic communities in the West Midlands. The project demonstrates the difference adult learning can make to agendas such as health and community cohesion. "Tandrusti" is a Punjabi word meaning a sound condition of the body or mind. It's also the name…

This paper describes dominant discourses and practices which permeate English language learning and information and communication technologies (ICT). Through the adoption of a critical discourse analytic perspective, and drawing on New Literacy Studies research, it discusses how English language learning and ICT practices have come to take…

The English "Skills for Life" strategy symbolises the prominent place that adult basic skills have claimed in education and training policy in England since the beginning of this century. The strategy aims to improve the skills of a large number of learners over a ten year period (2001-2010). This paper explores what we can learn about…

Response to intervention (RTI) involves ongoing evaluation of children's responsiveness to different levels of evidence-based interventions as a basis for eligibility determination. If students fail to make expected rates of progress, instruction is changed and, in most cases, intensified. Based on behavior-analytic models of effective instruction…