Efforts to develop a collection of reading test items suitable for measuring adult literacy are described. The project, part of Project I of the Targeted Research and Development Program in Reading, sought to identify characteristics of literacy levels and to define tasks which might be used in a criterion-referenced test to assess possession of…

In order to determine the range and extent of adult reading in the United States, a Reading Activities Survey was conducted on interviews with 5,073 adults randomly chosen from 200 locations around the country. The survey was part of an effort to develop a test of adult literacy based on practical reading situations in which adults might find…

The objectives of this three day seminar were to increase the knowledge about the functionally illiterate adult and his characteristics, research about non-reading adults, materials available for them, public library services and programs for illiterate adults as well as basic adult education activities offered by schools and other community…

Discusses the need to consider those adults in America with less than high school diplomas as a national priority. Notes statistics and information on educational finance and adult educational attainment. Suggests national objectives that focus on these individuals' unalienable rights, and provides a 1- or 5-year plan for reaching these…

Encourages use of the newspaper for adults to improve their reading skills and to practice applying academic skills to problem solving. (NKA)

Examines the validity of oral reading accuracy and comprehension as indicators of difficulty for functionally illiterate adults and the feasibility of using four less commonly measured variables as additional indicators of difficulty. Indicates that accuracy and comprehension are valid indicators of difficulty. Rate and miscue quality are strong…

Determined the strategies adults used as they read. Results revealed two stages of reading development: (1) a reliance equally on print and language based strategies with no integration of the two, and (2) increased ability to use language knowledge to integrate and predict as they read. (SRT)

Both a case study of a middle-aged Mexican migrant woman's attempt to learn to read and write and a personal account of the tutor's discovery of some of the social and psychological factors that kept her illiterate. Discusses methodology, materials, techniques, conflicting conceptions of literacy, and sociocultural expectations. (RDN)

Outlines briefly the activities of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy, which include conferences, seminars, lecture tours, publications, publicity campaigns, and political representation, and urges greater educator involvement in the council. (MM)

Discusses a project in Melbourne, Australia developed to explore the nature of the problem of illiteracy amongst non-migrant adults who had passed through the school system, to discover what sort of people were illiterate and to what extent, and to examine the influence of home and educational background, and to assess the ability of sensitive and…

A discussion of the needs and consideration of the appropriateness of various methodological approaches used in conducting research projects on adult literacy. (WL)

The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAEL) designed the Adult Learning Focused Institution (ALFI) Assessment Toolkit specifically for colleges and universities that want to retain undergraduate adult learners by providing programs that meet and exceed their expectations. The ALFI Assessment Tools are a pair of survey instruments that are…

The selections presented in this paper are intended to provide readers with a general understanding of some of the key issues and practices that bear on the implementation of educational technologies in adult literacy programs. The sources listed are not exhaustive but cover two dozen major reports, articles, and Web sites produced by the federal…

With increasing interest in improving the quality of adult literacy, numeracy and language provision, there has been growing interest in gaining an overview of what teachers actually do with their learners. This study looked at how 15 teachers taught over an average of 167 minutes in a cross-section of New Zealand classrooms. The report details…

For many young people, adult education offers a "second chance" to obtain a high school credential, to develop literacy skills, or to succeed in a new country and a new language. With more support, it can also represent a second chance for youth to develop civic knowledge and skills and lifelong patterns of civic engagement. The aim of…