THE CUTTING EDGE:

all READy to learnall READy to learnThe University's adult literacy center helps people learn to function in a world of words. While children nationwide write simple compositions about turkeys and Pilgrims in their classes today, adult students are struggling to use the same vocabulary. But the functionally illiterate are not writing the tales of Thanksgiving, they are discovering words to convey decades of life experiences. "I have been hurt by what a man say and do not trust them at all," writes one woman in her 30s. "They say one thing and do another." This woman – whose writing is displayed by the University's adult literacy center – is one of the 35 million men and women in the United States. who are functionally illiterate. The National Center on Adult Literacy – which is affiliated with the Graduate School of Education – found that about 50 percent of all adults do not have sufficient literacy skills for both their personal and professional lives. And of these 35 million, only 10 percent are enrolled in adult literacy programs, said Joyce Harvey Morgan, associate director of the literacy center. The center, which does not actually provide instruction, examines the causes of illiteracy and works to develop solutions for nationwide implementation. John Kruidenier, a research associate at the center, said most populations studied by the center have fourth-grade reading skills. Information gathered by the center is disseminated to policy makers, other researchers and adult literacy practitioners, Morgan explained. Of the 25 other research centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education, only one center besides the National Center on Adult Literacy studies problems affecting adults. That center is also affiliated with the University. · Poor reading skills have always prevented adults from performing important everyday tasks, from understanding the instructions on an automatic teller machine to filling out job application forms. But Morgan noted that the recession and advances in technology are making it even more difficult for the functionally illiterate. "A higher level of literacy is required," Morgan said. "There are very few low skill jobs anymore." Morgan added she has found a correlation between functional illiteracy and other social problems such as homelessness, poverty and unemployment. "This is a massive problem in this country," she said. "People have to read." The link between the University and the center, which is primarily funded by the federal government, is Director Daniel Wagner, a Graduate School of Education professor. Morgan said one of the obstacles to increasing adult literacy lies in the lack of professionally-trained instructors. She noted that despite the center's connection to the University, the Graduate School of Education does not offer courses in adult literacy, let alone have a department. "Very few schools offer a degree in adult literacy," Morgan said. "Many practitioners weren't trained to teach adult literacy." She added that practitioners, who are often volunteers or only teach part time, are mostly trained in college to teach reading or special education. Some adult literacy instructors do not even have degrees from four-year institutions. "There are no entry level requirements" to work as an adult literacy instructor, Morgan said. She added that the lack of "professionalization" in adult literacy instruction can be problematic when the students have learning disabilities. Difficulties may also arise if an instructor patronizes his or her student. "Many of [the students] have problems with authority figures," Morgan said. She explained that an instructor should make sure "attention is paid to [students'] self-esteem. It affects their ability to learn." "Many adult students have had a negative experience with school," Morgan said. "A history of failure can be a barrier to their self-esteem." She also said instructors should be sensitive to the fact that "adult students have very complex lives." Day care, transportation and economic issues can affect an adult student's ability to learn, Morgan said. Being attentive to so many of the students' problems is too difficult for some instructors. "I've seen some people who have no idea what they're doing," Morgan said. But, Morgan added, there is an "incredible range" in the effectiveness of the instructors. "I can tell you that they all work very hard," she said. · But even if all adult literacy instructors aren't understanding the needs of their students, technology which is sensitive to the students' lifestyles is promoted by the center. Computers, for example, have been introduced into the homes of adult students who cannot fit literacy classes into their schedule. Via e-mail, instructors may send their students lesson plans and answer questions. Modeled after viewer call-in shows, adult students living in rural areas can watch their teacher present a lesson plan on television, and ask him or her questions by calling a toll-free number. And, as functional illiteracy is sometimes the result of a student having a learning style that does not match the teaching methods employed earlier in his or her education, technology that better accommodates the students' learning style can be used. For example, students who demonstrate that they learn best by hearing information as opposed to visual cues can use a speaking electronic dictionary. The center also promotes educational software designed to be relevant to adult students' lives. The content of computerized reading comprehension exercises is interesting and useful to adults, Kruidenier said. One software program, the "Parenting Disc," provides adults with useful information on such subjects as "Children at Bedtime," while also coaching them to improve their reading skills. "A Day in the Life," another software program, offers simulation exercises about life in the workplace. In one exercise, a reading comprehension activity also teaches the student how to fill out a returned merchandise slip. Included in the figure of the 35 million functionally illiterate adults in the nation are those who speak English as a second language. This software also provides practical information about life in the United States, such as instructions on how to open a bank account. Most importantly, the software is relevant to their everyday needs. Adults "generally will learn things which have greater immediate meaning in their lives, " Morgan said. On a video cassette about literacy prepared by the U.S. Congress, adult literacy student Ruby May expressed her opinion about the illiteracy problem permeating the nation. "I don't think it's a disgrace not to know how to read or write," May said. "But it is a disgrace not to try."