Introduction to Adult Literacy

This course will cover foundational literacy, and adult foundational literacy skills needed in the workplace and the broader community. The course will address the definitions of foundational basic skills needed in the workplace, community, and family. We will review the evolution of adult literacy in the US, and in Minnesota in particular, and will look at programs, funding, program planning, and the role of employers and unions. The course will also address the need for writing in plain language for low-literacy employees. Finally, the course will also analyze and assess community literacy programs. We will also cover ways of reaching underrepresented groups; the role of community in state and local government; new social action approaches to literacy education; and related issues such as poverty and welfare, ethnicity, cultural diversity, social class, language and learning, and literacy as a tool of empowerment.