The following intergenerational literacy programs are described in this document: (1) a Boston University program that provides about 112 hours of training for work-study students who then work as tutors for adults; (2) a program that uses the paired reading technique to involve parents in the development of their children's reading in the United…

The field of cognitive science (as represented, for instance, by intergenerational literacy programs) offers new ways to think about increasing cognitive abilities, which is particularly important in view of the disappointing outcomes of many intervention programs that do not seem to make their participants more knowledgeable or better thinkers.…

In the light of recent initiatives, new questions have arisen regarding the federal role in literacy. Although federal adult literacy efforts have been ineffective, the link between literacy and the productivity of the work force may justify a stronger national investment in literacy. Among the major federally supported literacy programs are the…

Efforts to solve intergenerational literacy must focus on the family as a unit. However, schools traditionally have a poor track record in dealing with minority/disadvantaged students and involving their parents. Studies have demonstrated the importance of family/community influence on children as well as the cultural and linguistic insensitivity…

This overview of intergenerational and family literacy programs in the United States consists of five sections, a bibliography, and four appendices. Section 1 presents background information and expectations for programs and describes the target populations and program designs and administration. Section 2 describes the research base and the…

An adult basic education (ABE) class was developed to help parolees of the Schuylkill County Prison develop reading, writing, and communication skills and use those skills in a community service project aimed at helping at-risk youth. Parolees were recruited into the project through county parole officers, and their reading, writing, self-esteem,…

This document describes six industry-education partnerships in Massachusetts selected as exemplary and 14 selected as outstanding. They represent innovative and collaborative ways to address dropout prevention, at-risk and special needs students, adult literacy, basic skill development, and enrichment needs of students. Each entry provides this…

This booklet contains nine 1-hour training sessions related to the components of family literacy programs. Each session may stand alone or be used in combination with any other. This provides trainers with the flexibility to base workshops on participants' needs and interests. Titles for the sessions include: (1) the process of literacy learning;…

A project provided family literacy services in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. The "Together We Learn" project had four objectives: (1) promoting family literacy by using the Project PACT (Parents and Children Together) model in two 10-week sessions; (2) improving parents' basic skills so they can work better with their children; (3) assisting…

This document explains an intergenerational literacy project, established by the Kenan Trust in 1988, in which more than 300 adults and children have participated at 7 pilot sites in North Carolina and Kentucky and for which an additional 22 sites in 11 states are planned. The first section relates one participant's experience with the project.…

Joliet Junior College's Center for Adult Basic Education and Literacy (CABEL) is responsible for providing adult basic education and support services for adults whose skills in reading and mathematics are below the 12th grade level. Its offerings include instruction in Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), English as…

Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were subjected to a statewide evaluation in 1999-2000. Data were collected through focus groups with parents, a survey of staff in community agencies and organizations, and analyses of program data and the findings of selected assessments administered to adults and children involved in the program.…

The 12 programs selected as 1996 winners of the Secretary's Awards for Outstanding Adult Education and Literacy Programs illustrate a diverse range of promising practices for the 21st century. Winners were selected based on the presence of 10 elements, including the following: effective and potentially replicable practices; measurable objectives…