Description:
In this study, the training program Alpha plus, which was specially developed for functionally illiterate adults, is evaluated. The program has been piloted in two nine-month courses with 18 participants each. The reading and spelling skills of adult illiterates improved significantly. In particular, the reading ability improved from the level of an average first-grade student to the level of the average student of second grade. A group of 10 functionally illiterate adults matched by age and IQ, who attended regular literacy courses, showed no changes in their reading and spelling skills. The present study shows that the reading and writing skills of functionally illiterate adults can be improved by participation in an intensive and systematic training program.