IN THE MISSOURI ADULT VOCATIONAL-LITERACY MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MATERIALS WERE DEVISED FOR TEACHING ADULTS TO READ, WRITE, AND SPELL AT THE FUNCTIONAL (SIXTH GRADE) LEVEL. IN THE RESEARCH PHASE, THE NEEDS, CHARACTERISTICS, LITERACY LEVEL, OCCUPATIONS, AND INTERESTS OF THE ILLITERATE ADULT WERE STUDIED, AND TEACHING MATERIALS AND METHODS WERE EXAMINED. STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WERE INTERVIEWED AND THERE WAS A NATIONAL SURVEY OF LITERACY PROGRAM DIRECTORS. IN THE MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT PHASE THREE LEVELS OF BASIC AND INTERMEDIATE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, WITH TEACHERS' GUIDES, AND SUPPLEMENTARY OCCUPATIONAL BOOKLETS WERE CREATED. A VOCATIONAL THEME CHARACTERIZED THE SERIES. THE INITIAL TEACHING ALPHABET (I.T.A.) WAS USED, WITH TRADITIONAL ORTHOGRAPHY PRINTED ON THE FACING PAGE. DURING THE EVALUATION PHASE, SAMPLE CLASSES OF ILLITERATE ADULTS USED THE MATERIALS IN 100-HOUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS. THESE TRIALS INDICATED THAT THE MATERIALS WERE EFFECTIVE IN TEACHING ADULTS WORD AND PARAGRAPH MEANING, WORD-STUDY SKILLS, AND SPELLING. THE MATERIALS SHOULD BE USED BY TEACHERS TRAINED IN THE USE OF I.T.A. AND IN TEACHING READING TO ADULTS. (DOCUMENT INCLUDES A REVIEW OF PUBLISHED ADULT LITERACY EDUCATION MATERIALS AND SUMMARIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, OF STUDENT TESTS, AND OF THE NATIONAL SURVEY. THERE ARE 24 TABLES.) (AJ)