The Reader Development Program (RDP) of the Free Library of Philadelphia was begun in 1966 with funds from Title I of the Library Services and Construction Act. The program was created in order to develop a demonstration reading program to reach and help the culturally disadvantaged. The RDP involves three approaches in providing library service…

This paper is a first approach to the problems raised by the concept of experimentation in the field of functional literacy. It is divided into three main sections: (1) necessity, limits, and means of experimentation; (2) methods and fields of experimentation; and (3) the fields of experimentation. Hypotheses examined include: (1) The cultural…

The purposes of the present study are: (1) to examine the nature of the modernization process among peasants in one less developed country, Colombia, and (2) to determine the cross-cultural validity of these findings in other of the less developed nations. Peasants are important subjects of study by social scientists because they constitute a…

In order to assess various reading and writing abilities of adults, for comparison with corresponding abilities of pupils in grades 7 through 12, and to investigate the extent to which adults' reading and writing abilities can be regarded as satisfactory, answers to a series of tests and questionnaire data were obtained from random samples of…

Discusses the minimum competency movement and suggests standards for constructing and implementing exit competency requirements. (MKM)

This article traces the development of the concept and roles of literacy in Western civilization. Current concern about declining literacy in American students is discussed historically in terms of (1) rising literacy standards; (2) applying the standards and tastes of traditional elites to the larger population; and (3) the perennial…

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)

Workplace literacy has been a recent addition to the field of literacy education and research, achieving a level of "commonsense" acceptability so that its meaning(s) or constructions have largely gone unchallenged. A study, therefore, explored the concepts of "work,""workers," and "literacy," not so much to…

Describes a game used to teach adults to recognize and comprehend words and phrases basic to their lives. (TO)

Voices concern for growing number of illiterate adults in world and quality and limitation of reading materials available to those who do acquire reading skills. (DS)

Very few Asian children enroll in school. Those who do enroll are faced with many problems, such as ill-trained teachers and under-equipped classrooms. Moreover, those who manage to obtain a college degree have difficulty in finding jobs. (CK)

A statewide concentrated literacy campaign using Operation Alphabet telecasts was launched in Florida in 1963. This article relates the history of the campaign, describes Operation Alphabet, and evaluates some of the instructional procedures used. (PT)

Describes the development of an oral test for Florida drivers' license applicants whose literary impairments prevent them from passing a written examination. Field test results show that the test accurately measures applicants' knowledge of driving practices rather than their reading skills. (SK)

Describes efforts and difficulties encountered by health care professionals who attempted to develop a Spanish-language word recognition test as a quick screening for patients' literacy levels, an effort which was ultimately unsuccessful. Notes that the close phoneme-grapheme correspondence of the spelling system means oral reading may not reflect…

Describes the benefits of and processes necessary for teaching Chinese as a functional language, focusing on the three teaching and learning objectives of goal orientation in curriculum planning; cultural/contextual clarity in instruction; and clear guidelines for evaluation. (CB)