This document is a compilation of a variety of documents that were prepared to summarize and document the Policy Conversation on Workplace and Work Force Literacy that was held in Canada to give concerned individuals an opportunity to share their hopes, concerns, dreams, and visions about key issues in workplace literacy. The following documents…

Labor market outcomes of 25- to 64-year-olds were examined as a function of sex, prose proficiency level, and highest educational level attained. The data for 1992 confirmed that educational attainment and literacy level are both positively associated with higher annual earnings and lower unemployment rates and that literacy is positively…

This issue brief, which is intended for individuals involved in planning and delivering adult literacy programs, examines several major characteristics of recent House and Senate bills regarding block grants, describes the new requirements of block grants and their potential effects on adult education and literacy services, and suggests actions…

Available literature pertaining to the following topics was reviewed: cognitive skill retention across the life span, literacy and basic skills retention, and policy implications of skill retention work. Among the key findings of the review were the following: (1) available evidence suggests that adult literacy skill retention may vary…

This publication provides the final report of a planning meeting to discuss literacy programs of the Asia/Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO (ACCU) to be carried out under regional cooperation and other materials from the meeting. The final report describes the purpose of the meeting and summarizes these presentations: opening addresses, reports,…

Questionnaires on tutor training workshops were distributed to volunteers working within 46 Canadian community-based (CB) or voluntary programs; 56 percent of the programs responded. The study explored the distinguishing features of CB and volunteer literacy programs, terms used interchangeably. Questionnaires were mailed to all provinces and…

Using poetry to enrich the lives of adult literacy students, this book provides nine complete, detailed lessons using poetry that will help teachers and tutors of new adult readers and writers. Each lesson in the book focuses on a different type of poetry and is presented in a clear, step-by-step format. The book also offers advice on dealing with…

These workbooks are part of a Mexican series of instructional materials designed for Spanish speaking adults who are in the process of becoming literate or have recently become literate in their native language. The workbooks are designed to teach skills needed to manage ordinary financial transactions and daily tasks requiring a knowledge of…

This series of instructional materials is designed for Spanish speaking adults in Mexico who are in the process of becoming literate or have recently become literate in their native language. The reading/writing workbook is presented in two volumes along with a teacher's manual for an adult literacy program directed at urban inhabitants of Mexico.…

Women and men experience illiteracy differently, with the inability to read and write often leaving women marginalized and powerless. Therefore, women need support groups in literacy programs. A literacy support group model for use in Edmonton, Alberta, is presented as a viable means to empower women who are marginalized in society mainly because…

This report identifies 13 instructional strategies for teaching adult numeracy skills that address issues of assessment, development of mathematical skills, and development of problem-solving skills. The rationale and suggestions regarding the following 13 instructional principles are described: address and evaluate attitudes and beliefs about…

A project produced and disseminated to adult basic and literacy education practitioners in Pennsylvania a newsletter containing relevant information designed to meet their professional development and awareness needs. It prepared and disseminated an 8-12 page newsletter for the months September 1993 through June 1994. Information contained in the…

The Kentucky Adult Literacy Survey, which was based on the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), was conducted to determine the prose, document, and quantitative literacy levels of the state's adult population. Trained interviewers conducted hour-long interviews with 1,492 Kentucky citizens between the ages of 16 and 65 who had been selected…

In societies with rich oral traditions in which knowledge and wisdom are transmitted by way of mouth, through recitation, song and drama, the inability to read and write does not mean ignorance or lack of intelligence. Literacy is, however, essential for gaining legal and socioeconomic rights. Literacy campaigns should therefore involve changing…

A survey group of the State Literacy Workforce Development Council studied the impact of illiteracy on Alabama's work force and economy using census data. Findings indicated that 55 percent of Alabama's adults functioned at literacy levels inadequate to meet the demands of a modern, technical society. Costs to business and industry were lost…