Contrasts the views of Chisman and Freire about the goals of adult literacy education. Demonstrates the valuable personal outcomes and contributions to the common good of literacy education. Suggests that literacy may be an intervening variable rather than a determining cause of public and personal enhancement. (SK)

Hirsch's Cultural Literacy Test was completed by 200 undergraduates. Subjects who scored highest had higher grade point averages and Scholastic Assessment Test scores. Results for minorities were inconsistent and based on small samples. Effectiveness of the test for adult literacy students remains unproven. (SK)

Addresses the problem of mixed-level classes with a wide range of education levels and cultural backgrounds. Describes participatory approaches in which learners develop learning materials out of their own concerns. (JOW)

Presents the attitudes and literacy practices of fathers with low literacy or limited academic achievement. Includes their attitudes toward the importance of literacy activities, the value of education, and their aspirations for themselves and their children. Reveals insights on the attitudes and literacy practices of two low-literate fathers with…

Hmong refugees in Milwaukee created a literacy program tailored to their cultural learning needs within a vocational-technical institution. Primary ingredients include instructors from the same cultural background, connections between learning and day-to-day survival, attention to significant social needs of students, and strategies consistent…

Compares two approaches to teaching reading to adults: the eclectic, research-based method of Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) and the phonics-based Laubach Literacy International. Concludes that LVA has the advantages of adaptability to student differences, a thorough evaluation system, and a superior published reading series. (SK)

Humorously describes the "dumbing down/smartening up" phenomenon which, on the one hand, attempts to convey complex ideas in simple language, but on the other hand may water down the material so much that readers will never have to tackle even a moderately challenging reading task on their own. (RS)

Resistance to schooling of characters in 10 works of fiction was analyzed and findings applied to traditional literacy/adult basic education (ABE) programs. The results suggest that resistance occurs when values clash. Since ABE programs tend to reproduce the values of the dominant culture, they contribute to the resistance of those outside the…

Steps in developing a workplace literacy partnership include (1) creating community awareness; (2) developing organizational readiness; (3) analyzing organizational needs, climate, and resources; (4) negotiating program content, structure, participation, and schedule; (5) setting goals and objectives and planning instruction; and (6) implementing…

The author discusses issues of the information age that relate to education. Topics discussed include (1) illiteracy, (2) information organization and use, and (3) preservation of a common means of communication. (CH)

Literacy education is modeled along a continuum moving from a technical conception of literacy to a conception of literacy as praxis, or critical literacy. These competing models are contrasted, and special emphasis is given to one adult basic literacy organization that is managing to humanize the process. (Author/BJV)

Critiques demeaning attitudes toward adult literacy learners implicit in the practices of major literacy programs and examines underlying assumptions about the nature of literacy in light of recent studies. Argues that literacy professionals must confront political and institutional barriers to effective literacy education and offers an…

Describes experiences with adult students showing that teachers can take a dialogic approach to literacy in any classroom setting. Points out that the focus is on talk, generative themes, and written dialog. (SR)

A theory-driven, critical case study of the stated needs for literacy of 11 adult literacy learners, argued to be social constructions, is reported. The hypothesis generated is that notions about literacy acquired in the context of acquisition of that literacy will be represented in the learners' subsequent requests for these literacy needs.…

A systems perspective of adult literacy assessment stresses use of comprehensive, holistic strategies. For literacy methods, systems theory emphasizes the holistic nature of the adult in relation to the complex web of systems. Systems theory applied to materials reflects the plurality of literacies and the need for a variety of materials. (SK)