The Freirean approach to adult literacy education bases the content of language lessons on learners' cultures and personal experiences. This approach has been used in the developing world in successful native and second language literacy projects sponsored by governments and voluntary organizations in both urban and rural settings. The two most…

This guide is intended to help adult basic education (ABE) teachers teach their students to understand instructions in their daily lives. The 25 learning activities included all develop students' skills in the area of following directions by using basic situations drawn from everyday life. The following activities are included: sequencing pictures…

Designed to help educators prepare materials for newly literate individuals, this guidebook is comprised of four chapters. The first two chapters provide background material explaining the needs and requirements of newly literate people. Chapter 1 characterizes "post-literacy" materials and services and discusses the role of the…

A Congressional staff study was undertaken to analyze the Literacy Management Information Project Report (LMIPR), released by the U.S. Department of Education in May 1986, and to determine whether its findings were valid. The LMIPR found that there are 79 literacy-related programs administered by 14 federal agencies and that $347.6 million was…

Tape recorders and computers can be useful in literacy tutoring in three situations. The situations are (1) as an aid in regular tutoring sessions, (2) as a supplement to provide drill and practice, and (3) as a management tool. Samples of these uses include tape recordings of reading assignments for students to take home and study; a computer…

A fervent idealist whose dream was to eliminate illiteracy throughout the world, Frank C. Laubach sought to bring Christianity to the masses by giving them the ability to read and spread the teachings of the Bible. In working with people in the nonindustrialized nations, Laubach also saw the need for economic and political self-sufficiency. He…

Presented to Americans and addressed to presidential candidates in this election year, this proposal: (1) identifies the extent of the literacy problem in America; (2) outlines the current efforts to address the problem; (3) discusses the roles of the sectors; and (4) recommends actions for the next administration. The proposal urges an improved…

Paradoxically, for reasons both philosophical and practical, public libraries are uniquely positioned to assist the 72 million Americans who, by virtue of being illiterate or marginally literate, are not ordinarily library users. A formal link between libraries and literacy can be traced back to the 1920s when the American Library Association…

This article describes Vermont's "Connections" project, a book discussion program designed to move newly literate adults from practical literacy to "literate" literacy by engaging them in discussion of texts and ideas in the tradition of liberal education in the humanities. The article also describes the Vermont Reading…

This booklet contains 10 success stories of Pennsylvania men and women who discovered adult education programs that gave them the tools to create a new life for themselves and their families. Their stories affirm the ability of each adult to use education to overcome great difficulties. Some overcame physical and learning disabilities. Some…

Estimates of the true extent of illiteracy among the United States's adult population vary widely. The Department of Education has estimated that there are 23 million illiterate Americans and an additional 46 million American who function only marginally in an increasingly technological society. Federal support for adult literacy began in 1965…

This article sets forth some ideas as starting points for the initial assessment of reading, particularly for those who are relatively new to adult literacy work. It describes materials to use, including choice of materials and levels of difficulty. Variables that affect a reader's performance are listed. Information is also provided on how to…

Literacy data were collected on a 5 percent sample of the Republic of South Africa's 1980 population census. Approximately 5 million persons aged 20 or older were found to be illiterate. The racial breakdown of the literacy rate among the different population groups was as follows: Asians, 79.84 percent; whites, 97.18 percent; racially mixed…

Responding to a need indicated by President Reagan's 1983 Initiative on Adult Literacy, this monograph considers the past, present, and future uses of television technology in literacy programs. Recognizing the amount of time Americans spend viewing television and the new possibilities for service delivery offered by such technological…

The focus of the experimental functional literacy project is the health and nutritional status of the young child; the target population are pregnant women and new mothers in rural Indian villages. (AJ)