Study in India showed that functionally literate farmers produced higher crop yields. (SP)

To improve adult literacy in urban and rural areas, Ethiopia has established reading centers throughout the country staffed by volunteer teachers. Since 1978, 10 million persons have participated in the program. Eight million have finished courses and taken the tests. About four million have passed and received certificates. (AM)

Reviews and analyzes studies conducted on functional literacy among older adults. The results indicate conceptual confusion, an obviously undereducated older population, inadequate measurements, and samples with disproportionate percentages of older persons. Conclusions indicate the need for educational gerontologists to increase efforts at…

Provides a brief review of the adult follow-up programs that resulted in Cuba's present adult educational subsystem. (AEA)

Illiterate adults could neither delete nor add a phone at the beginning of a non-word; but these tasks were performed by people who learned to read rudimentarily as adults. Awareness of speech as a sequence of phones is thus not attained spontaneously but is probably provided by learning to read. (Author/CP)

Offers reasons for the declining literacy rate of new military recruits and makes suggestions for improving performance ratings in military training. Recommendations include visually attractive presentations, simple language, performance testing, a relaxed learning environment and feedback, and addressing the learner as an adult. (MER)

Describes Cuba's successful adult literacy campaign and suggests the necessity for a similar undertaking in the United States. Advocates (1) the use of college and secondary students as literacy workers, and (2) the adoption of the concept of "the generative word" (Paulo Freire) as tools for carrying out such a campaign. (GC)

Argues that adult literacy programs should be structured so that reading becomes a genuine means of enhancing the lives of the elderly. (FL)

A study was conducted to determine how the approach to assessing outcomes in Adult Basic Education exemplified by the Adult Performance Level Survey compares with the most widely used approach exemplified by the General Educational Development test. Test scores suggest that reading ability significantly affects performance on both tests.…

Based on interviews in Cuba and publications generally unavailable in the U.S., author examines history and success of Cuban literacy campaign. Outlines logistical/pedagogical challenges; describes recruitment and training of volunteer teachers and development of instructional methods. Concludes with case studies illustrating application of Paulo…

A detailed history of the eradication of mass illiteracy in the Soviet Union is given, from the first stage (1917-1920) to the third stage (1933 to post-war); methods of recruitment and teaching are recounted, as well as national policy developments. Instructional materials are described, and statistical data are included. (AJ)

The solution to the problem of women's illiteracy in the Soviet East, where the religion was Islam and seclusion was traditional for women, was intimately linked with the struggle for women's liberation. Such obstacles as the lack of materials and teacher shortages, and the policies developed to overcome them, are described. (Author/AJ)

Explores government adult basic education (ABE) statistics in one fundamental area, the present level of illiteracy in the United States, concentrating particularly on changes in illiteracy levels during the 1960's. (WL)