Examines volunteer tutors' use of the Paired Reading technique with adults. Although enjoyable and relatively effective, the technique needs improvement in order for long-term benefits to result. (ARH)

The Jefferson County (Kentucky) Adult Reading Program, which has demonstrated exceptional success in reaching, retaining, and teaching thousands of adults in need of basic reading and writing skills, is described. An adaptation of this program in a correctional setting is examined also. (Author/CT)

Botswana's national literacy program and its role in both democracy building and national development efforts is discussed in this paper. Literacy groups can be found in villages and towns throughout the country. The proportion of literate adults has increased from 34% in 1966 to 68.9% in 1993. Yet the absence of 81% of the eligible population…

This brief paper describes a literacy program for adults with mental retardation in the Boston metropolitan region developed when more than 300 individuals formally requested literacy services. Several cognitive and literacy assessments were reviewed and implemented. No one assessment was found to be sufficient to assess ranges from pre-literacy…

Describes "initial teaching alphabet" (i.t.a.), a self-instructional reading program designed to teach basic literacy skills in English to adults in a systematic and logical way by teaching the language sounds and their related i.t.a. characters through the use of recordings and workbook exercises. (WL)

Maintains that, to reach the many adult nonreaders who resist established literacy programs, the values that these programs espouse must conform to the learners' own beliefs and not be rooted in the status quo. (SR)

Describes how three tutors helped an adult progress from a nonreader to a competent and enthusiastic reader, using an approach rooted in whole-language research and practice. (SR)

Investigates how the needs of adult new readers are being met in five North Texas public library systems using the PLA's (Public Library Association) list of recommended titles for "Adult New Readers" for 1993-97 as the comparative sample. All the libraries had titles from the sample, though there was considerable variance. Only one…

This study addresses the impact of functional adult literacy on the empowerment of women in the absence of formal schooling. It examines whether the effects of functional literacy are exclusively content specific or whether there are gains going beyond the obvious benefits and extending to other spheres of everyday functioning, such as…

Adult literacy programs offer individuals, particularly women, opportunities to improve their educational levels and economic circumstances; however, persistence in these programs is an issue for many. Two hundred forty five participants in a statewide adult literacy program took the Adult Education Persistence Scale, a measure of self-efficacy,…

The purpose of this publication is to present Iowa's adult literacy program approved projected benchmark percentage levels for Program Year 2006 (July 1, 2005-June 30, 2006). The passage of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) [Public Law 105-220] by the 105th Congress has ushered in a new era of collaboration, coordinator, cooperation and…

This publication attempts to answer some common questions from adult basic education and General Educational Development teachers about the practice of using children's literature in the adult literacy classroom. Answers include the following: some books in the children's literature market are meant to be read and enjoyed by a wide diversity of…

This publication is a tutor's guide to teaching basic literacy using The Fresno Bee, a California newspaper, as the primary "textbook." The course is aimed at English-speaking adults and is designed to teach reading in an interesting and entertaining way that promotes self-motivated study, both in the classroom and at home. The guide is…

A study compared the effectiveness of computer-assisted reading instruction to that of a direct teaching model. Nineteen adult male inmates from Windham School System's Ellis II Unit (located in Texas) special education classrooms served as subjects. The subjects were divided into two groups each of which spent one hour a day on reading. One group…

This collection of 71 lesson plans, which is designed to assist volunteer tutors involved in the Computer-Assisted Literacy in Libraries (CALL) program, contains guidelines and materials to help tutors correlate the words-only textbook "Basic Reading for Adults" by Metra-Summerhays with other reading materials selected by students. One…