A group of adult education teachers sought to determine if a readability formula applied to classroom materials provided a match with student reading levels. Cloze tests were used to determine whether students were able to understand the material. In three of the eight samples, the Cloze test showed that the readability test did not accurately…

This brief report describes a 1-year project to develop a curriculum on career exploration for adult basic education (ABE) students. The project components included developing and administering a needs assessment, developing and testing a curriculum during six workshops, and revising and packaging the curriculum. The curriculum was used with 35…

A project operated a model, adaptable family literacy program in a housing authority that served 35 residents. Its objectives were to improve parents' basic skills and help them improve their ability to assist their children, to assist parents in learning appropriate expectations for their children and understanding individual differences, and to…

As part of a project to improve professional development for adult basic and literacy educators in Pennsylvania, a literature review was conducted of studies of professional competencies needed by adult educators. Extensive review of previous studies showed that hundreds of competencies had been identified. Some states also had generated their own…

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) found an increasing need to provide computer-aided instruction (CAI) as a component of its curriculum, in particular to help staff and volunteers become computer literate. GPLC staff designed and taught two 12-week introductory computer courses for up to 20 (10 each) literacy staff and volunteers.…

This book offers Paulo Freire's retrospection on his life and work. These reflections, conceived in the form of 18 letters to his niece, Cristina, provide a backdrop for a deeper understanding of the experiences--including his exile---that have informed his thinking and teaching. The first 10 letters look back on Freire's childhood and youth. The…

This issue of the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) News is devoted to "Equipped for the Future" (EFF), the organization's long-term collaborative initiative for system reform. The newsletter contains the testimony of people who have been involved in the process over the past 2 years, speaking of the promise they see in EFF. The…

One of a series of workplace education modules, this module includes assessment instruments and classroom activities for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in the workplace. First, an overview is provided, describing issues unique to teaching ESL in the workplace. Five levels of difficulty are then described for module activities (i.e.,…

This curriculum and instructor's guide were developed for adult literacy students to advance their literacy skills and prepare for the General Education Diploma exam using the information on the Internet via an online service. The report of the project that developed the curriculum describes the following project activities: computer technology…

The 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) examined three types of literacy--prose, document, and quantitative--among the entire older adult population and various subgroups thereof. Of the nationally representative sample of 26,091 adults interviewed during the NALS, 2,267 were aged 60-69, 1,005 were aged 70-79, and 442 were at least 80 years…

The first volume in this two-volume report outlines the nine educational principles on which the competence statements for adult reading and writing are based. The four literacies--for self-expression, practical purposes, knowledge, and public debate--are defined and some representative text types and common genres are provided. The four levels…

The Kountze Public Library in Texas conducted a program using cross-age tutoring as a strategy to strengthen family reading skills, to develop a collection of educational literacy materials in the library, and to disseminate results to the public. During the 1-year program, 29 volunteers participated, with 14 trained as tutors. Tutors worked 64…

A project explored the reading comprehension skills and strategies of adult basic education (ABE) students. The target population was 55 students from 2 ABE programs in central Pennsylvania. They responded in interviews to a questionnaire that measured their knowledge about reading and reading comprehension strategies, and they participated in…

Trends in research on participation in adult education have reflected social changes, shifting from sociodemographic surveys toward emphasis on understanding motivation for participating. Participation has been studied primarily from the perspective of service providers, gathering data on participants or dropouts. Since the 1970s, researchers have…

This handbook is designed to address teachers' most common concerns about learning disabilities (LDs) and teaching adults with LDs. Section 1 defines LDs by describing traits that adults with LDs share. Section 2 focuses on identification of students with LDs. LD characteristics are divided into eight categories: academics, speech/language, motor…