Discusses techniques to use with adult beginning readers in the areas of (1) assessment (i.e., interviewing, voice pointing); (2) discussion (i.e., explaining approaches, incorporating interests); and (3) instruction (i.e., assisted reading, progress tracking). (CH)

Demonstrates how Gibb's principles of learning have influenced case study outcomes from a holistic perspective. Presents abstracts of strengths, weaknesses, and instructional strategies from 15 case studies and compiles the information to present an instructor/learner situation. Principles of the holistic approach to teaching adult literacy are…

The Adult Education Amendments of 1988 require the Department of Education to submit a report to Congress on the definition of literacy and then to estimate the extent of adult literacy. Literacy has been defined by self-report in early Census Bureau surveys, in a competency-based approach by the Adult Performance Level project, and as "the…

Reports on the problem of adult functional illiteracy in the workplace and discusses how some companies and business-sponsored organizations are dealing with this problem. Describes Polaroid Corporation's in-house literacy training program in detail. (CH)

Presents three tenets from the research for adult literacy instruction: (1) improvement in one literacy skill should mirror improvement in others; (2) instructors should facilitate, not control, learning; and (3) students should be able to transfer classroom learning to their daily language encounters. Includes ideas for application. (CH)

Despite national demands to improve the weak literacy skills of young adults, educators and policymakers lack the diverse types of data needed to make changes. The report, "Workplace Competencies: The Need to Improve Literacy and Employment Readiness," points out that past measures of literacy have lacked comparability, resulting in no accurate…

Recommendations for increasing participation of functionally illiterate adults in community education programs include decentralization of educational sites, availability of transportation and child care, and instruction stressing functional literacy and teaching reading and computation as tools for solving students' personal and social problems.…

The authors review current practices in writing instruction in adult literacy classes. They observe that students spend little time writing. Innovative teaching activities are mentioned. They discuss goals of writing instruction and how to adapt present practices to meet the writing requirements of the General Educational Development Test. (CH)

Dependence on standardized tests in adult literacy programs derives partly from their relative ease of adminstration and their appearance of providing valid and reliable quantitative data for program evaluation. Few adult educators are satisfied with the quality of the information, and most are extremely dissatisfied with the effects of such…

Discusses the roles of adult and vocational education teachers, the adult basic education program, working conditions, employment potential (full- and part-time), qualifications and advancement potential, job outlook, earnings, related occupations, and sources of additional information. (CT)

This information sheet describes Numeracy and Mathematics, one of four streams or subject areas offered in the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) in Australia. The learning outcomes are organized into four different categories or domains according to different purposes and functions of using mathematics: numeracy for practical…

This information sheet describes Reading and Writing, one of four streams or subject areas offered in the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) in Australia. The stream is organized around the four main social contexts in which individuals function within society: family and social life, workplace and institutional settings,…

This information sheet describes Oral Communication, one of four streams or subject areas offered in the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) in Australia. The stream is organized around some purposes for which oral language is used in social life: active listening, practical purposes, and problem solving and exploring issues. Each…

This report presents profiles of major training activities for teachers of adult basic English (ABE) and adult English as a Second Language (ESL) in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Included in the profiles are statewide and regional training activities funded through Section 353 of the Adult Education Act and other federal, state, and…

This information sheet describes General Curriculum Options, one of four streams or subject areas offered in the Certificates in General Education for Adults (CGEA) in Australia. The first seven learning outcomes are based on seven key competencies: collecting, analyzing, and organizing information; planning and organizing activities;…