This book will help those who plan and develop literacy initiatives; using case studies from literacy programmes in many countries including Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines and Uganda, it demonstrates the importance of literacy, its power to improve lives, and the role literacy plays in social and economic development.

Of great importance for international practitioners, students, researchers, and policy makers alike, this book brings together adult learning and anthropology and introduces a picture of the world of adult literacy today; explores relationships between the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy, and literacy practices in daily life.

A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.

Monograph on adult education and functional literacy in African developing countries, with particular reference to Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania - includes historical and background data, and covers motivation, teaching methods, the role of the teacher, curriculum development, community development programmes, etc. Bibliography pp. 179 to 187, map and references.

Technology offers a promising alternative to the labor-intensive, tutorial-based teaching that makes up the bulk of today's literacy training. This technology, which includes multimedia (speech, video, and graphics), and telecommunications, offers new hope to those who have failed in paper-&-pencil educational activities. The report estimates that at least 35 million adults have difficulties with common literacy skills. Over 80 charts, tables and photos. Glossary.