Using practical problems faced by farmers developing new agricultural methods, a problem-oriented approach to adult functional literacy was developed and tested in the Jaipur district. The booklet explains the first two of the project's five phases: exploration, syllabus and curriculum construction, materials preparation, action, and evaluation.…

Articles in this report are based on the data obtained by the Adult Functional Reading Study. This study examined the reading activities of American adults and tested adults' performance on functional reading tasks. The supplement contains several articles concerned with the reading skills required to read and answer or perform the reading tasks…

A model of the various tasks of the instructor of illiterate and semiliterate adults is presented and discussed. These tasks include assessing the learner, instructing the learner, selecting methods and materials, and evaluating the effectiveness of instruction. An abbreviated case study is used to illustrate these instructional roles. (AA)

An overview of the language experience approach and suggestions for implementing it at all levels of instruction are presented in this booklet. Based on the assumption that it is impossible to isolate reading instruction from other language functions, a multimethod approach is described which focuses on the linguistic, conceptual, and perceptual…

The document opens with a 13-page paper entitled "The Role of Libraries in Post-Literacy Adult Education," by E. E. Kaungamno, which discusses the goals, policies, and problems of providing library services for the new literates of mainland Tanzania. The role of libraries is to provide follow-up reading material so that neo-literates do…

The first book about adult education, reprinted here in a limited edition, was published in 1816 in Bristol, England. It marked the beginning of the modern era in education by acknowledging the importance of adult education in the total educational scheme of a society. The author, Thomas Pole, was born in Philadelphia in 1753 and was brought up as…

To test the hypothesis that early-stage agricultural innovativeness is positively related to rural literacy, the author set up two investigations in the Chiduku and Seki Tribal Trust Lands of Rhodesia. The results of both studies are reported. Accelerated literacy instruction was introduced and innovativeness was measured in the following farm…

Current definitions of illiteracy and functional illiteracy are reviewed, and their relationship both to estimates of the scope of the problem and to efforts toward its solution are discussed. Applying functional standards according to the requisites of particular societies, it can be seen that even countries with high literacy rates, such as the…

Efforts to substantially reduce adult illiteracy in the United States have been largely unsuccessful. The purpose of this study was to obtain a basic word list, based on oral vocabulary of adult black illiterates in two urban centers, which could subsequently be used to develop basic education reading materials, reading tests, and a readability…

The progress of several projects defining and measuring adult literacy is reported in this publication of the National Reading Center. A summary description of the basic approach of the project is given, rather than a digest of findings. Among the studies reported on are the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in reading, the Adult…

This study by Louis Harris and Associates was designed to determine the percentage of Americans lacking the functional or practical reading skills necessary to survive in this country. A test on reading and filling out application forms indicated that from 4.3 million to 18.5 million Americans are functionally illiterate. The average range of…

This inventory is designed to assess the degree to which adults who are illiterate possess some of the more commonly acknowledged requisites to learning to read. Instructions for administering the inventory are provided in enough detail to insure a reasonably accurate assessment of visual discrimination and select cognitive abilities. The…

The use of readability formulae to estimate the difficulty levels of vocational reading materials, the determination of relationships of reading skills to job proficiency, and the relationship of general reading ability to performance on specially constructed job reading task tests (JRTT) are discussed to define the literacy skill demands (i.e.,…

The program, methodology, techniques, and materials used at the Adult Continuing Education Center located at Danville (Illinois) Junior College are described. The program is divided into five levels from beginning or introductory through GED preparation. A non-graded, individualization approach is used with support for such an approach found in…

The role of libraries with regard to post-literate people is to provide suitable follow up reading material for these people so that they do not relapse into illiteracy. A public library service plays an indispensable part in any progressive educational system. It is particularly essential for the success of any literacy campaign and the adult…