In the United States, illiterate adults account for 20 percent of citizens over age 16. Yearly, 5 percent of these adults without a high school diploma are enrolled in Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses, which offer few appropriate counseling services. In order to study the counseling services available to ABE students in Maryland, on-site visits…

This booklet was developed to offer practical advice to those in charge of, or attempting to develop, a small literacy program. The guide is organized in nine narrative sections that provide information on the following topics: beginning a literacy program, assessing the need, program structure, building a program, financing a program,…

The result of interviews with literacy coordinators and library directors of literacy programs in representative libraries throughout Pennsylvania, this document encourages local libraries to develop adult literacy activities as an integral component of basic library service and provides program planners with guidelines and suggestions for…

Media reports suggest widespread illiteracy among adults who may not be able to read, write, speak, or otherwise communicate competently enough to meet the demands of modern society. There is no consensus on the definition of illiteracy or supporting statistics. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the adult illiteracy rate is 13…

A study of why adult literacy students stopped attending beginning reading tutorial programs was conducted at nine sites that were part of the Pittsburgh Literacy Initiative. A total of 192 adults were identified as having discontinued their reading programs, all of which were one-on-one tutorial programs. The reading level of these dropouts had…

This document reports on a conference that addressed the involvement of the National Council of Churches of Christ/USA in literacy education in North America, at which literacy program participants, national leaders in literacy education, church leaders, and international literacy delegates described their successes and struggles. The first…

Age-old problems of poverty and ignorance persist in South Asia. Educational strategies, compatible with cultural norms, are needed that will motivate and prepare the rural communities of this region to take the lead and to implement activities for growth. Furthermore, these strategies must have appropriate support--people, money, and media. Four…

A seminar was held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in August 1987 on the subject, "Illiteracy and the Underclass: Are They Permanent?" The contributions of Chall, Comer, Epstein, Dash, and Rivera identified where illiteracy problems begin--in families with intergenerational patterns of illiteracy. Problems in estimating the numbers of…

A regional workshop on nonformal education programs in Asia and the Pacific was organized to review the state of the art of nonformal education programs in the participating countries; to identify major problems, issues, and trends in the areas of nonformal education; and to synthesize innovative experiences and approaches developed in this area.…

This document contains 24 research presentations: "Adult Continuing Education: Whence Came Our Roots" (Judith Gwinn Adrian); "Faculty Receptivity to Participation in Continuing Education as Instructors, Facilitators, or Group Leaders" (Mary G. Bruning); "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body: The Potential to Enhance Learning in Later Life" (Alicia C.…

This bulletin considers recent developments in employment training, especially with regard to Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in Great Britain. These developments include the freedom of each TEC to choose the training schemes it wants to offer, TEC self-direction, changes in funding for job training, and the addition of other unemployed…

This book offers a personal account of a phenomenon largely ignored until recently: functional illiteracy--a condition that affects millions in the industrialized world. The book looks at functional illiterates in industrialized countries throughout the world, recounts their stories, and describes efforts to overcome and eliminate functional…

This packet of materials was created to help literacy professionals, social agencies, volunteers, and media representatives promote literacy efforts in Michigan, especially during Literacy Action Month (September). The materials can be used to support literacy in the community, in democracy, in the family, and in economic development. Items…

A project was conducted to determine formal and informal competencies based on an expanded definition of workplace environmental literacy. A secondary goal was to develop a compact between employers and training program graduates whereby graduates would have preferential access to employment opportunities. Issues that arose during the…

This document presents the Adult Literacy Plan for the state of Florida. Section 1 provides a rationale for the plan. Section 2 sets forth goals and objectives. The statutory intent is described in Section 3, which focuses on the Florida Model Literacy Program Act of 1987 (FMLPA). Section 4 presents a statement of the problem. It provides…