Describes teaching a class called "Children and Books" to a group of pregnant and parenting high school students. Shows how using children's books taught these teen mothers about the value of reading to their own children and provided an opportunity for intense discussion addressing a wide range of personal issues. (SR)

Interviews with 200 Nigerian students and 40 teachers revealed that parental illiteracy, pupils' perceived irrelevance of school curriculum, and poor teacher-student relationships were significantly associated with truancy. However, measures taken by the schools included administration of punishment and consultation with disaffected pupils. (32…

Presents a rationale for utilizing picture books in adult literacy programs along with book selection criteria and suggested titles for use with emerging literate adults. (NH)

The whole-language approach is discussed as a perspective-in-practice anchored in a vision of a equitable, diverse society. (Contains four references.) (LB)

Argues that metaphor, as it thrives in fiction and poetry, is relevant and even essential, to adult-literacy theory and practice. Argues that the concrete poetic images, metaphors, and stories literacy educators learn from students should help shape their theoretical discussions of adult literacy; and likewise, once learned, these should be the…

Discusses the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s: the context of the time, its educational programs, instruction, teachers, and how it handled the problem of illiteracy. Examines whether this kind of program would work in the 1990s, concluding that many of the programs components would transfer well to the present. (SR)

Discusses Paulo Freire and his influence on the perspective and application of literacy programming and interdisciplinary education through the arts. Argues that Freire's pedagogical philosophy and application illustrates the value he placed on education through life experiences, the arts, and cultures of the people. (DSK)

The director of the Queens Borough Public Library (Jamaica, New York) examines the role of the public library in helping to prevent illiteracy and discusses innovative ways libraries can serve adult readers and learners, using the Queens model as an example. Includes a sidebar by Audrey Gorman "Toward a New Definition of Literacy." (AEF)

Analyzes the perspectives of college student-tutors as they begin to understand their work with less literate adults. Reveals that the tutors' attention was in discovering how they learn best as a base for considering the learning of others, negotiating a role with adult learners, and identifying their relation to the "haves" and "have-nots." (CMK)

Presents an overview of preservice volunteer training at READ/San Diego, an adult literacy program. It discusses the program's informal assessment procedures that help identify possible language/learning disabilities and provide valuable information for instructional planning. Also described are selected multisensory teaching techniques designed…

Twelve articles in this special issue look at changes in adult basic education (ABE) including the following: changes in policy, the overhaul of welfare, state governance, workforce development, family literacy, the connection with employment and training, contextualized literacy, health education, political and economic literacy, adult literacy…

Examines the rhetoric of family literacy focusing on restricted programs (family literacy programs that combine adult basic education for parents and early literacy) in relation to five issues: (1) the usage of the term family literacy; (2) targeting restricted programs to selected families; (3) program accessibility; (4) educational effects; and…

Throughout its history, adult literacy education has been defined, researched, and controlled by external entities. Action research is now enabling literacy practitioners and learners to gain a voice through production of their own knowledge. The applicability, benefits, and inherent risks of practitioner action research are discussed. Contains 53…

Finds that a participatory literacy learning circle employing process-based writing activities significantly improved both writing skills and self esteem of a group of women at a residential treatment center who had received court sentences for drug sales or alcohol abuse. (SR)

The EFA Global Monitoring Report of 2002 contains two interesting paragraphs. In this article the author aims to explore what lies between those two paragraphs, in order to put forward some ideas about the role and future of literacy and its relation to human rights. The author hopes to show the continuing importance of adult literacy work and the…