This unique publication is written for practitioners in the field of adult learning and literacy. This third volume in the series from the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL). This is a collection of the best new knowledge and practice in the field, and includes an introduction by the editors and six articles by distinguished writers and practitioners, as well as reviews of the best books and key journal articles published in the past year.

The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research Policy, and Practice, Volume 4 is the newest addition to a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and learning. Volume 4 opens with an overview of significant recent developments in the field. Subsequent chapters cover a wide range of topics critical to the success of adult education and literacy services in the United States: *issues of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation; *the role of workplace education in building adults' basic skills; *the role of new learning technologies in adult education and literacy; *adult developmental theories and their implications for the teaching of adult basic education and English for speakers of other languages; and *traditional and contemporary adult learning theories, including an annotated bibliography of key resources. Intended for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners dedicated to improving the quality of adult basic education, adult English for speakers of other languages, and adult secondary education programs, Review of Adult Learning and Literacy, Volume 4 is an essential resource for the field.

This is an encompassing review that addresses all aspects ofliteracy (reading, numeracy, and technological literacy, forexample) with a global perspective. It connects the objectives ofliteracy education with broader areas of social welfare, includinghealth, employment and political and economic empowerment. The second volume in a new annual series, this unique publicationfor practitioners in the field of adult learning and literacycollects in one yearly volume the best new knowledge and practiceadvances identified by the prestigious, Harvard-based andfederally-funded literacy center, NCSALL. A single, "user-friendly"source for information on best practices in the field of adultlearning & literacy. The editors' introduction in each volume covers news from the worldof policy and research, while six distinguished writers andpractitioners contribute articles on the most pressing topics inadult literacy. Each volume also includes annotated reviews of thebest books and key journal articles published in the past year.

Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice, Volume 6, includes chapters on: *Demographic change and low-literacy Americans; *The role of vocabulary in Adult Basic Education; *Implications of research on spelling for Adult Basic Education; *Issues in teaching speaking skills to adult ESOL learners; *The preparation and stability of the Adult Basic Education teaching workforce; *The adult literacy system in Ireland; and *Broad-based organizing as a vehicle for promoting adult literacy. .

The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice, Volume 5 is the newest volume in a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and learning. Each Review opens with an overview of significant recent developments in the field of adult literacy during the year, followed by a set of chapters presenting in-depth reviews of research and best practices on topics of high interest to the field. Volume 5 includes chapters on: *the increasing emphasis on scientifically based research and evidence-based practice in education, their use in adult literacy, and the perception of their usefulness by those who work in the field; *recent research on the impact of acquiring a General Educational Development (GED) credential; *the adult literacy system in the state of Massachusetts, focusing on the factors that led to investing and restructuring in the system, and the lessons learned that may be helpful to other states interested in building strong systems of educational service delivery for adult learners; *a history and review of volunteerism in adult literacy; *the history and structure of the adult literacy system in New Zealand, including policy recommendations for the current system to more effectively serve all adult learners; and *a review of theories and key resources related to metacognitive skills in reading. The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy serves as the journal of record for the field and is an essential resource for all stakeholders who need to know what research can reveal about how best to serve adult learners.

Review of Adult Learning and Literacy: Connecting Research, Policy, and Practice, Volume 7, is the newest volume in a series of annual publications of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) that address major issues, the latest research, and the best practices in the field of adult literacy and learning. Each Review opens with an overview of significant recent developments in the field of adult literacy followed by a set of chapters presenting in-depth reviews of research and best practices on topics of high interest to the field, and concludes with a Resources section. Chapter topics in Volume 7: *Persistence: Helping Adult Students Reach Their Goals *Achieving Adult Education Program Quality *Assistive Technology and Adult literacy *Individualized Group Instruction *Health Literacy *Research on Professional Development and Teacher Change *Opportunities, Transitions, and Risks: Perspectives on Adult Literacy and Numeracy Development in Australia *Adult Basic Education in South Africa *Annotated Bibliography on Workplace Education The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy serves as the journal of record for the field and is an essential resource for all stakeholders who need to know what research can reveal about how best to serve adult learners. The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) is a federally funded research and development center focused solely on adult learning. NCSALL's efforts are dedicated to improving practice in educational programs that serve adults with limited literacy and English language skills, and those without a high school diploma. For more information on NCSALL, please visit http://www.ncsall.net/.

This handbook marks the transformation of the topic of literacy from the narrower concerns with learning to read and write to an interdisciplinary enquiry into the various roles of writing and reading in the full range of social and psychological functions in both modern and developing societies. It does so by exploring the nature and development of writing systems, the relations between speech and writing, the history of the social uses of writing, the evolution of conventions of reading, the social and developmental dimensions of acquiring literate competencies, and, more generally, the conceptual and cognitive dimensions of literacy as a set of social practices. Contributors to the volume are leading scholars drawn from such disciplines as linguistics, literature, history, anthropology, psychology, the neurosciences, cultural psychology, and education.