The focus of this article is a research and development project underway in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The project is Toronto First Duty, reflecting that the "first duty of a state is to see that every child born therein shall be well-housed, clothed, fed, and educated, till it attain years of discretion," according to 19th century…

Experiences with family and intergenerational programs in English Second Language (ESL) literacy are reviewed, and factors that contribute to their success are discussed. It is suggested that as the notion of literacy expands, conceptual boundaries of the population of learners must expand also. While there is much to be learned from existing…

A history teacher uses a computer game to interest students in World War II. A former TV reporter creates a new journalism curriculum that turns high school kids into real on-air broadcasters. An administrator and a technology coordinator team up to bring their campuses in contact with others around the world. A project director devises a…

Even Start is a family-centered national literacy program whose goal is to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by expanding the educational opportunities available to low-income families with limited educational experiences. To reach this goal, all Even Start projects provide services in each of three core areas: adult education, parenting…

This booklet describes 26 projects funded by Pennsylvania (PA) Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE). Descriptions include title, purpose, impact, project outcomes, conclusions or recommendations, project continuation or future implications, product, project director, and descriptors. The following projects are profiled: AchievE:…

"EFF HOT (Highlights on Teaching Topics) Topics" is a publication of the EFF (Equipped for the Future) Center for Training and Technical Assistance. Each issue concentrates on a specific topic, highlighting examples of actual practice and offering strategies and tools for using EFF in the classroom. In this issue, "HOT Topics" focuses on the EFF…

This review contains current information on research, policy, and practice in adult literacy and learning for individuals and organizations focused on adult basic education (ABE), adult English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), and adult secondary education (ASE) programs. "The Year 2000 In Review" (Lennox L. McLendon) describes…

This paper reviews significant events and resources that have emerged since the 1992 publication of "Adult Literacy Education: Current and Future Directions. An Update" by Hanna Fingeret. It analyzes major milestones in research and practice in literacy education that have occurred in the last decade. The paper begins by looking at the…

These four issues contain the following articles: "Corpus Linguistics: Discovering How We Use Language" (John Rosenthal); "Conversation Class: More than 'Just Talking'" (David Kehe and Peggy Kehe); "The Peace Project: A Personal Path to Overcoming Intolerance" (Stephanie Jones-Vo); "Developing the Reading Skills…

This paper examines the controversial problem of the availability of and access to computers, training, and technology, and the availability of and access to all types of learners. Technologies must be designed with diverse learners in mind in order to fully realize their capacity and contribution to the field of education. If the need for…

A study examined the literature to determine the veracity of the criticism of some educators who say that family literacy programs in the United States fail to take into account important cultural issues when dealing with certain target groups. Issues invoked included the need to take traditional cultural values and practices into account in…

This package consists of a facilitator's guide and three booklets that were developed to provide basic preventive health information for adults caring for young children and presents a story line with characters who become more self-confident in coping with children's health issues as they build their knowledge about preventive health. The…

The Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library conducted a project in fiscal year 1992 that involved recruitment, retention, public awareness, training, basic literacy, collection development, tutoring, intergenerational/family, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The project served a community of 25,000-50,000 and targeted the…

The concept of family literacy is firmly rooted in a substantial research base from several disciplines, including adult literacy, emergent literacy, child development, and systems analysis. Results from a review of research from each discipline found answers to questions about benefits of family literacy. Results show family literacy programs do…

Parental perspectives on family learning were examined through focus group discussions with parents who had participated in family learning courses at a nursery school, primary school, secondary school, and family support center in London, England. Five focus group discussions with a total of 25 family learning course participants, 2 in-depth…