Two trade union organizations in New York City have begun a workplace literacy program in response to the needs of adult workers, especially immigrants, for literacy, job skills upgrading, and problem-solving skills. Four case studies tailored to specific needs and workplace settings illustrate the shift in focus from worker literacy to workplace…

Discusses Kentucky's efforts to increase adult literacy through the New Books for New Readers program in which scholars were asked to write books emphasizing adult topics with a reading level of third to fifth grade. Describes the process through which the target audience is involved in the creation of books for the program. (KO)

Describes a study of five workplace literacy programs operated by Wake Technical Community College in North Carolina. Presents criteria for evaluating workplace literacy programs in the areas of organizations involved, curriculum, structure and class, and recruitment/retention. Offers case studies of the most effective and least effective of the…

Describes training and adult education resources available from ERIC: "Applications of an Adult Motivational Instructional Design Model"; "Visual and Digital Technologies for Adult Learning"; "Applications of Computer-Aided Instruction in Adult Education and Literacy"; and "The San Diego CWELL Project. Report of…

According to cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the impact of state characteristics on participation in adult literacy education (1970-87), structural features such as program availability and state support have a demonstrated effect on the rate of participation. (SK)

It is suggested that the search to make sense of dominant political ideologies and of their impact on language and literacy curriculum and teaching practice must be deliberately undertaken by teachers and activists if education is to maintain any control over the literacy agenda. (Contains 27 references.) (LB)

Describes an effective literacy program in two hospitals, which benefited both the employer and employee by empowering participants to solve problems, think critically and creatively, and make decisions. Discusses criteria for effective workplace literacy programs, the program's framework, and program evaluation. (RS)

Describes three projects sponsored by the International Community Education Association: (1) functional literacy for railway workers in Ghana; (2) youth farmers' community development project in Ghana; and (3) participatory research in a community education and development network in Sierra Leone. (SK)

Describes how a language experience approach was used in a workplace literacy program for adult immigrant railroad workers in Australia. Describes how the workshop built on participants' developed oral skills and life experience to create texts that were relevant, interesting, and comprehensible to these learners. (SR)

One component of a Missouri school-community partnership is a cooperative effort to improve the work force in the community and keep young people in school. Requiring new employees to have high school diplomas and establishing general education development programs near work places have lowered the dropout rate from 25 percent to only 15 percent.…

Literacy issues are discussed that affect Canadians age 15 and older who are barely literate in any language. Topics include the following: definitions of literacy; policy overviews and surveys; the impact of literacy on Canadian institutions; access for literacy learners; adult learning and classroom practice; and the plain language movement. (76…

Literacy in francophone Africa, where literacy is still a privilege, is reviewed in terms of the complex linguistic situation, effects of population change, concepts and definitions of literacy, promotion of literacy in adult nonformal settings (e.g., African language literacy materials, multilingual settings). (23 references) (LB)

Areas of concern for matching adult readers and programs are theoretical orientation (meaning based, code based, or interactive); programing factors (reading assessment, goal formation, affective factors, negative schooling attitudes, student interests, reading interpretations); and methodologies (phonics, whole word, neuro-impress, repeated…

Core principles of successful workplace literacy programs are relevance, integration of literacy and job skills, flexibility, continuity, and shared ownership and accountability. Success often involves complex negotiations to balance needs of employers, employees, and educators. (SK)

Interviews with 20 adults who chose not to participate in literacy programs revealed that they valued education and learning but considered "school" unacceptable. Reasons were categorized as ideological/cultural, personal/emotive, or age-related resistance. (SK)