Adult and Family Literacy: Current and Future Research Directions-A Workshop Summary

摘要

There was consensus in the panel that much additional research is needed on both adult and family literacy. Both the 1992 National Adult Literacy Survey conducted under the auspices of the National Center for Educational Statistics of the US Department of Education and the International Adult Literacy Survey provide interesting information about the demographics of adult literacy in the US, and clearly indicate the need for and importance of adult literacy instruction. However, there is little research that directly addresses instructional or program effectiveness in this area. While there is a large body of rigorous research on effective instructional methods for early reading by schoolchildren and on the theoretical underpinnings of reading difficulties in the school years, there has been far less scientific study of literacy interventions with adult learners and with preschool children who are at risk for difficulties in learning to read when they enter school. In both of these populations, far more needs to be learned about causal relationships between instructional methods or approaches and literacy outcomes within adult literacy and family literacy programs.