Working Papers on Literacy

This is the fifth paper published by The Centre for Literacy in its Working Papers on Literacy series that presents new perspectives on literacy-related topics relevant to researchers, practitioners and policy-makers. The author's thesis is that our understanding of the world and our acquisition of literacy are shaped by a set of cognitive capacities or "tools" that are present in oral cultures and expand in the early stages of literacy.

This article presents a response to critiques of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). It addresses the misconceptions of certain researchers about the relationship between literacy and other characteristics of individuals and societies.

This article comments on "Literacy, Economy and Society: Results of the First International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS)." Topics include Themes in IALS, Problems with IALS, Contextualizing Literacy, Literacy Practices, Cultural Bias & Test Items, and more.

This article critically examines the cultural bias of the International Adult Literacy Survey.