Describes an Australian national study of technologies used for adult literacy: traditional technologies (print, radio, television, audio and videotape, teleconferencing, and computers) and new generation technologies (laser discs, CD-ROM, videodiscs, and hypermedia). (SK)

Diagnostic/prescriptive techniques can match adult reading students with appropriate content materials. The Directed Reading Activity is a structured approach that introduces concepts and vocabulary, teaches or reviews specific reading skills, prepares for reading, encourages discussion of content, and follows up on information and skills…

Examines the growth of recognition of adult illiteracy in Western Europe and North America since the early 1970s. Discusses the invisibility of the problem, types of illiteracy identified in schools, importance of literacy across the curriculum, links between illiteracy and poverty, and involvement of international organizations. Contains 36…

Problems and issues in measuring functional literacy are explored through an overview of definitional dilemmas, synopsis of widely known assessments, examination of the concept of ecological validity, and discussion of the impact of concepts of validity on the interpretation of functional literacy test performance. (SK)

Presents Botswana's experience with a national literacy program as a model for the understanding of policies and implementation of national literacy programs. Concludes that, although the Botswana National Literacy Programme represents a significant effort in adult literacy education, a rapid increase in the literacy rate is unlikely. (KO)

The 25 years since the establishment of the adult basic education (ABE) program have seen a renewed focus on adult illiteracy in federal legislation. Four trends or models for the future of ABE have emerged: service to target populations, programs with an employment focus, professionalization of ABE educators, and widely spread, nonintensive…

The author describes the Employment Training program developed by the Work Based Learning Project. This program is designed to help trainers break down tasks into needed skills and to evaluate competence in various skills. (CH)

Discusses Kentucky's efforts to increase adult literacy through the New Books for New Readers program in which scholars were asked to write books emphasizing adult topics with a reading level of third to fifth grade. Describes the process through which the target audience is involved in the creation of books for the program. (KO)

A British study of 92 adult basic education students and 32 tutors showed that individualized learning was emphasized at the expense of small groups. "Preferred types" of students, those most likely to be able to do well in open learning, tacitly emerged, limiting access for adults with learning difficulties. (SK)

This study of visual discrimination training with 22 adults with mental retardation involved either computer-delivered instruction with a stimulus-fading procedure or teacher-delivered verbal and nonverbal prompts. While the teacher prompts were effective with more subjects, participants learned more discrimination problems with the computer…

According to cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the impact of state characteristics on participation in adult literacy education (1970-87), structural features such as program availability and state support have a demonstrated effect on the rate of participation. (SK)

Points out that, to keep the work force up to date, business, industry, and labor groups are inviting adult basic educators to design and implement retraining programs at the worksite. Provides suggestion for designing custom-made basic skills instruction using work-related materials. (JOW)

A review of four articles concludes that the work of literacy workers is not valued, partly because of its identification as "women's work." Challenges to its recognition are lack of funding, worker reluctance to organize for change, and overwork and part-time status. (SK)

Argues that poetry can enhance the reading and writing skills of poor readers, while it helps them develop confidence with language. Shows how poetry can work in an Adult Basic Education literacy class, by looking at the writing of one particular student. (SR)

A case study of the Bob Steele Reading Center in Connecticut demonstrates problems inherent in participatory literacy education when the learners, the program's culture, and the sociocultural context are not grounded in the participatory democratic ethic. (SK)