Adult literacy program outcomes have been disappointing. A number of principals and methods from cognitive and neuropsychological research can be used to make literacy instruction more effective, including the following: improving cognitive function; fast reading; reading practice; literacy as a motivator; and improving use of class time. Cognitive science has been used to understand how literacy shapes the neural system for spoken and written language and to use this information to improve literacy instruction. Research has been done in the areas of human evolution, cognitive limitations of unschooled people, efficient reading skills, reading comprehension, memory, phonological awareness, perceptual learning, and health issues. Materials, methodology and teacher preparation determine how much people learn and retain. Issues that affect literacy learning include, course duration, textbook contents, teacher selection, and social benefits. Governments need to determine whether increased costs of more scientifically based literacy training are worth the benefits. Additional research is needed to determine which methods are more effective and how costs and benefits compare. (Contains the results of a research study in adult literacy, a description of literacy tests, a learner questionnaire, an extensive bibliography and an index.)(SLR)