This document contains two extended papers and one shorter commentary that reflect a continuing debate between two schools of thought on literacy that have been called the "autonomous" and the "sociocultural.""The Persisting Power and Costs of the Literacy Myth" (Harvey J. Graff) argues that current discourse on…

This document provides summaries of conference papers and discussions at a workshop focused on improving the quality of literacy education in developing countries. The workshop was attended by 20 project leaders and observers from 11 countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, India, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and…

Recently, several industrialized nations have engaged in extensive and expensive assessments of adult literacy using door-to-door surveys and tests of "functional" reading. A study examined the use of simple checklists of author's names, magazine titles, famous people's names, and vocabulary works used earlier by West, Stanovich and Miller (1993)…

This final report on an international conference of nine high population developing countries on education for all (EFA) begins with a declaration of goals by the representatives of each of the nine nations represented. Participating nations were Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan. After a scene…

This document contains a trilogy of one-act plays, three multiple-act plays, and guidelines for using drama in adult literacy education classes. The background of the plays' development is outlined in a brief introductory section. Ideas provided for using drama in literacy education are procedures for conducting readings, suggestions for assigning…

This booklet, aimed at adult basic education students, pinpoints and summarizes a few common spelling rules to help make spelling easier, and includes a component on using the dictionary. In the text, each rule is presented with many examples. Exercises follow each spelling rule, allowing students the opportunity to apply the rule to specific…

In participatory research, education and learner participation are directly connected. The document analyzes the role of a participatory research method in the basic education of rural adults. The different phases of the Participant Research method are presented, along with a profound analysis of both research and participation. The claim is that…

The traditional educational method has focused on a passive stand from the learner. This passive stand can hinder creativity and analytical thinking. This work concentrates on a presentation of the Participant Research educational method. Participant Research is an adult-education method in which the learner can have an active role in his…

This document describes a project conducted to develop an approach to competency-based adult education (CBAE) for Montana adult basic education (ABE) programs. As effort continued on the project, a series of competencies related to adult student outcomes in the areas of reading, mathematics, and language arts were developed. The processes involved…

Learning to read and write effectively is a challenging task for many adults, particularly for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. In spite of concerted efforts by educators to facilitate the development of literacy skills in deaf individuals, most deaf high school graduates read English at roughly a third or fourth grade level as determined by…

This guide raises and discusses questions to guide workplace literacy. The historic context for this handbook is the progress of Project REACH from its inception in 1986 to the present. An introduction considers how an workplace literacy. An introduction considers how an organization's history affects program decisions. Chapter 1 looks at…

Used in conjunction with other books in the series, this book is designed to help adults overcome their reading and spelling problems. The book begins with a progress chart, a record of achievement, and a student-tutor contract. The major part of the book consists of worksheets corresponding to the 60 daily lessons explained in a companion book.…

The Literacy Plus Project, begun in 1985, provides tutoring for English-speaking adults aged 16 and over who live in the Hayward (California) Public Library service area, and whose reading and writing skills are below eighth-grade level. During the 1988-89 program year, the program trained 84 tutors (goal: 100) using a program developed by the…

This curriculum guide from British Columbia is divided into five parts. Part 1, on using the guide, first explains the place of the guide in the provincial curriculum development and articulation processes. Four purposes are defined; the scope of the curriculum is outlined; and an overview of curriculum aim, learner goals, and topics is given. In…

Defining literacy is a compelling challenge to educators. They generally use three models: instrumental, functional, and empowerment. The latter two approaches, which were increasingly evident in the 1980s, identify literacy by the social functions required in a given context or by the qualities needed for illiterate people to take control of…