Chronologically traces the development of literacy programs for adults in public libraries from their beginning in the nineteenth-century to the situation we find today. (Author)

Suggests ways that Adult Basic Education materials might be organized in libraries. Appendices provide categories for bookmobiles, sample major categories, and coping skills categories used in the Appalachian Adult Education Center's Library/ABE Project in Tennessee. (JD)

Describes how teaching adults is different from teaching children, requiring different methods, different approaches, different materials, and a different attitude--the attitude that teacher and students are equals. (WL)

A pilot test of a portfolio assessment process with 16 students in adult basic education and 4 in an English-as-a-Second language program revealed the following benefits: identification of student needs, better instructional planning and methods, and teacher reflection. Problems centered on paperwork, time, student ownership, and assessment of…

Presents the purposes, strengths, and weaknesses of these assessment methods for adult basic education: standardized, criterion referenced, curriculum based, performance based, and informal. Discusses ways to establish a supportive assessment environment. (SK)

Interviews with staff and students of five Alberta literacy programs about their participatory practices elicited three themes: student representation, from silence into speech, and working across differences. The way social identity played a role in power relations between literacy workers and students must be addressed for true student…

Describes the field testing of the Mississippi Assessment Technique for Identifying Learning Disabilities in Adults (MATILDA) with 97 inmates, 50 undergraduates, and 8 students diagnosed as learning disabled. Reports how the test can be used as a preliminary screening device in adult basic education. (SK)

A learner-centered approach to adult group instruction involved learners in investigating 20th-century events. The approach allowed learners to concentrate on different activities according to their abilities and gave them opportunities to develop basic skills and practice teamwork. (SK)

Addresses the professional development needs of adult basic education instructors. Describes federal and state resources for professional development. Recommends field-based research, reflective practice, and learner-centered instruction. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Discusses how adult basic educators can respond to the mandates of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Addresses remediation versus accommodation, disability identification, and how to choose and evaluate the effectiveness of accommodations. (JOW)

Challenges of an open-entry correctional education system include the following: assessing learning needs, providing appropriate materials and activities, incorporating individual and group instruction, tracking progress, and maintaining discipline. Instructional principles include ongoing assessment, individualized instruction, and frequent…

Because the new General Educational Development Test emphasizes essay writing, the author presents ideas for teaching and evaluating essays, teaching critical thinking and reasoning skills, and using the concept of teacher-as-learner as an effective role model. (SK)

The author discusses the problem of adult illiteracy. Funding sources for adult basic education are reviewed. Suggestions regarding how vocational educators can help solve the literacy problem are included. Initiatives suggested include (1) diversification, (2) collaboration, (3) partnerships, and (4) renewal. (CH)

The author argues that adult basic education is fundamental to development and that experience in industrialized and developing countries is therefore reciprocally illuminating. The subtlety and complexity of this relationship, however, may be the reason for educational and developmental failures, and suggests the need for more sophisticated and…

Assesses adult illiteracy in the Federal Republic of Germany, reinforcing some observations on the situation in the U.S. and other industrialized nations. (RAE)