This booklet, which is intended for literacy practitioners and other educators across Canada, synthesizes the experiences of Literacy Link Eastern Ontario and the Huron-Perth Literacy Committee in working with learning outcomes. After a brief discussion of the booklet's organization, a three-level system of foundation outcomes is proposed as the basis of a learning outcomes-based approach to helping adult students develop basic communications and numeracy skills. Examined next are strategies for getting started with learning outcomes, assessing learners' achievements, and identifying skill gaps and developing individual training programs. The remaining two-thirds of the booklet is a guide to recognizing foundational adult learning based on the following sample communications and numeracy learning outcomes: read with understanding for various purposes; speak and listen effectively; write clearly to express ideas; research and use information; perform basic operations with numbers; use measurement for various purposes; solve geometric problems; manage data and probability; and use patterning and algebra. Suggested demonstrations (tasks instructors can observe learners doing), criteria (statements describing how well or under what conditions outcomes are achieved), and troubleshooting strategies (ideas for helping learners who are experiencing difficulty achieving the learning outcomes) are listed for each learning outcome. (MN)