A qualitative study investigated the test-taking behaviors, knowledge, and perceptions of 20 urban, adult basic education students reading at third to fifth grade equivalency levels. The entire reading comprehension subtest of the Test of Adult Basic Education, levels E and M, was administered under standardized conditions. A combination of…

This guide is intended for use in an eight-session course designed to develop the presentation skills required of persons employed in the manufacturing and service industries. The course is structured so that, upon its completion, students will be able to accomplish the following: identify the traits of good and bad speakers; research and organize…

The Ad Hoc Working Group on Special Needs of the Literacy Workers' Alliance of Manitoba met monthly from September 1991 to January 1992 to discuss ways of meeting the special needs of adult literacy program participants who have been identified as having learning difficulties, specific needs due to mental or physical disability, or…

An inservice training program for tutors was developed that was based on a review of existing math materials for students at the 5-8 grade level and an analysis of the results of standardized math tests administered to literacy students in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Nearly 100 adult literacy students were tested in Fall 1992. Results were…

Peer tutoring refers to the process of having learners help each other on a one-to-one basis. Two types of peer tutoring are found in adult literacy and basic education: "near peer" tutoring in which one learner is more advanced than the other and "co-peer" tutoring in which the learners are fairly well matched in skill level.…

This publication contains stories about 10 outstanding Pennsylvania citizens who realize that a high quality education is essential to meeting life's challenges. These stories describe how 10 men and women faced great obstacles and overcame seemingly impossible barriers to become contributing and productive members of the Commonwealth of…

In the fields of adult literacy and adult learning, most researchers have focused on the acquisition of various skills and abilities. Very little attention has been devoted to skill retention. Without more research information, it is difficult to know whether the literacy skills learned in the nation's adult education programs are likely to be…

The Learn to Read project was designed to provide a supportive setting in which functionally illiterate adult students from suburban Cook County, Illinois, and surrounding areas could develop reading and writing skills. The target population included English-dominant adults with basic oral competency but no literacy skills, as well as…

A project assisted volunteers and staff of the Crawford County (Pennsylvania) READ Program in increasing their personal awareness of and sensitivity to factors in the life of adult learners that may hinder or otherwise affect learning. The object was to help tutors and staff become aware of when help is needed and how to refer or provide that help…

Far too few people are able to achieve literacy, with greatest inequalities found between industrialized and developing nations. Gaps are found within each country, including Sweden, where all have the same formal right to knowledge, but in practice, social class distinctions differentiate individuals. Sweden has a common goal of an increased and…

The cost of illiteracy to Canadian society has been estimated at $10 billion per year, the cost to business at $4 billion. In addition, there are human and social costs upon which it is impossible to place a dollar value. Human costs are stress and low self-esteem, worse health, lower income, and inability to participate fully in social and…

The Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) database for San Diego County reported in this document includes demographic and reading appraisal data collected during 15 months through April 1990 for more than 60,000 students in 6 diverse programs. Some of the findings resulting from analysis of the database include the following: (1)…

A proven, successful adult basic literacy improvisation theater project was expanded through development of videotapes. Because rural Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, consists solely of a number of small towns, traveling great distances to do presentations made outreach difficult. Project staff conducted the following activities: purchased a…

A study investigated the efficacy of the mnemonic graphic organizer strategy on the vocabulary acquisition of beginning and advanced adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students. Subjects, 48 adults enrolled in two adult ESL classes at a metropolitan adult school, were randomly divided into control and experimental groups. The experimental…

Since staff are a key element in adult literacy programs, this document outlines requirements and actions for effective administrative and instructional personnel for such programs. Addressing first administrative personnel and then instructional personnel, the paper describes skill and knowledge requirements, and recommends actions to be taken…