The special needs education and peer tutoring programs developed by the Maryland Department of Education reach the large numbers of inmates with low literacy levels or learning disabilities. They have been instrumental in making instruction more effective for all students. (JOW)

Critical issues facing adult literacy practitioners include (1) competing perspectives about education vs. jobs; (2) ideological dilemmas about the individual vs. social change philosophy and adult learners' values; (3) educational dilemmas about program goals and purposes under welfare reform; and (4) ethical dilemmas. (SK)

Reviews research on literacy skills and demographics of welfare recipients, characteristics of adult basic education programs, and literacy program goals and outcomes under welfare reform. Notes that, although educational credentials or training dramatically improve employment outcomes, welfare reform deemphasizes education and training. (SK)

In the Alberta research in practice project, literacy educators initiated participatory approaches with groups of adult learners and conducted research about projects. In the process, they learned about participatory approaches, their practices, and themselves. (Author/JOW)

This paper draws on the experience in Guinea, Sierra Leone and South Sudan, to explore how the methodology and modalities of community based participatory literacy can interrelate and combine with those of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. The paper considers how transformative models of literacy, such as those of Freire, REFLECT, the…

This paper reports on a longitudinal study that examines how a national reform introduced in England in the field of adult literacy, language, and numeracy is affecting teachers. The paper focuses on the use of a mixed methodology to explore teachers' attitudes to the reform and how these change over time. The quantitative strand includes the…

"Focus on Basics" is a publication of the U.S. Division of World Education, Inc. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is dedicated to connecting research…

Health literacy is important for all adults. Because lower health literacy is associated with lower educational attainment, many adult basic and literacy education programs increasingly provide health education to low-literate adults to improve their health literacy. Using data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL), this study…

The six EFA goals help to shape policies and priorities especially in developing countries; they can be seen as discrete targets or as a cohesive collection of complimentary developmental areas to improve learning for people of all ages and stages. The paper argues that the cohesion, success and impact of the EFA would be improved enormously if…

Literacy is power--the power to improve one's life and shape one's community. All people should know how to read and write, yet 771 million people (18 percent of the world's population) are illiterate. The programs described in this booklet address this challenge. They are samples of a few of the many hundreds of excellent programs around the…

A 2003 qualitative study examined the perspectives of 70 stakeholders in two adult literacy programs in Manitoba, Canada. Two stakeholders were Literacy Working Group (LWG) chairpersons, who held administrative positions akin to public school boards. Of particular significance to these administrators were issues related to program coordination,…

Teacher effectiveness is one of the most important determinants of the success of adult literacy programmes. From the outset of the campaign movement, the National Literacy Mission (NLM) of the Government of India has emphasised the need for a training and support system for campaign personnel, who often have limited education and lack of…

It has long been orthodoxy among adult educators that those who teach adults need to take into account the existing knowledge, practices, perceptions and expectations of the learners. This is true at both central level where curricula and teaching-learning materials are developed and at local level where adult teacher/facilitator meets adult…

There are nearly one billion adults who cannot read and write, according to UNESCO statistics. Most of these are people living in extreme poverty, almost two-thirds are women, and nearly one in five is a young person aged between 15 and 24. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) believes that there are five compelling practical reasons for…

This study examined non-accredited community language, literacy and numeracy provision in Australia. A diverse range of providers assist many adults who do not need or cannot yet cope with accredited training. Growth in self-confidence appears as important as development of literacy and numeracy skills, with teachers and tutors playing a key role…