Although there is a paucity of research-based information about the literacy of the aged, educators, researchers, and authors continue to propose certain practices and advocate certain positions, often while operating under unconscious or unexamined biases against the elderly. What research has been done indicates that literacy instruction that not only stresses the importance of social interaction, but also allows elders to participate in the actual program planning--which gives them control over the situations that affect their lives--has demonstrated that the "diminished view" elders often have of themselves can change dramatically. The little empirical data available also point to the fact that reading interests of the elderly vary just as they do in the general population, but few commercial publishers seem to be interested in developing reading materials for this group. Thus, the literature illustrates a need for further empirical research into the perceptions of reading and writing held by the elderly. Such research should not assume that elders are "old children" who need "back to basics" instruction, or that elders share the same needs, beliefs, and interests with a college-educated public. Rather, this research should investigate the elderly's concepts of the purpose of reading and writing, assess their reading needs as well as their reading interests, and examine the effect of societal expectations of the abilities of the elderly on their reading behaviors and interests. (HTH)