EFF Content Standards for Adult Literacy and Lifelong Learning Communication Skills | Decision-Making Skills | Interpersonal Skills | Lifelong Learning Skills EFF Standards include four fundamental categories of skills that adults need to draw from to carry out the key activities that are central to their primary roles: EFF Communication Skills  Read With Understanding Determine the reading purpose; select reading strategies appropriate to the purpose; monitor comprehension and adjust reading strategies; analyze the information and reflect on its underlying meaning; integrate it with prior knowledge to address reading purpose. Convey Ideas In Writing Determine the purpose for communicating; organize and present information to serve the purpose, context, and audience; pay attention to conventions of English language usage, including grammar, spelling, and sentence structure, to minimize barriers to reader's comprehension; seek feedback and revise to enhance the effectiveness of the communication. Speak So Others Can Understand Determine the purpose for communicating; organize and relay information to effectively serve the purpose, context, and listener; pay attention to conventions of oral English communication, including grammar, word choice, register, pace, and gesture in order to minimize barriers to listener's comprehension; use multiple strategies to monitor the effectiveness of the communication. Listen Actively Attend to oral information; clarify purpose for listening and use listening strategies appropriate to that purpose; monitor comprehension, adjusting listening strategies to overcome barriers to comprehension; integrate information from listening with prior knowledge to address listening purpose. Observe Critically Attend to visual sources of information, including television and other media; determine the purpose for observation and use strategies appropriate to the purpose; monitor comprehension and adjust strategies; analyze the accuracy, bias, and usefulness of the information; integrate it with prior knowledge to address viewing purpose. EFF Decision-Making Skills Use Math to Solve Problems and Communicate Understand, interpret, and work with pictures, numbers, and symbolic information; apply knowledge of mathematical concepts and procedures to figure out how to answer a question, solve a problem, make a prediction, or carry out a task that has a mathematical dimension; define and select data to be used in solving the problem; determine the degree of precision required by the situation; solve problem using appropriate quantitative procedures and verify that the results are reasonable; communicate results using a variety of mathematical representations, including graphs, charts, tables, and algebraic models. Solve Problems and Make Decisions Anticipate or identify problems; use information from diverse sources to arrive at a clearer understanding of the problem and its root causes; generate alternative solutions; evaluate strengths and weaknesses of alternatives, including potential risks and benefits and short- and long-term consequences; select alternative that is most appropriate to goal, context, and available resources; establish criteria for evaluating effectiveness of solution or decision. Plan Set and prioritize goals; develop an organized approach of activities and objectives; actively carry out the plan; monitor the plan's progress while considering any need to adjust the plan; evaluate its effectiveness in achieving the goals. EFF Interpersonal Skills Cooperate with Others Interact with others in ways that are friendly, courteous, and tactful, and that demonstrate respect for others' ideas, opinions, and contributions; seek input from others in order understand their actions and reactions; offer clear input on own interests and attitudes so others can understand one's actions and reactions; try to adjust one's actions to take into account the needs of others and/or the task to be accomplished. Advocate and Influence Define what one is trying to achieve; assess interests, resources, and the potential for success; gather facts and supporting information to build a case that takes into account the interests and attitudes of others; present a clear case, using a strategy that takes into account purpose and audience; revise, as necessary, in response to feedback. Resolve Conflict and Negotiate Acknowledge that there is a conflict; identify areas of agreement and disagreement; generate options for resolving conflict that have a "win/win" potential; engage parties in trying to reach agreement on a course of action that can satisfy the needs and interests of all; evaluate results of efforts and revise approach as necessary. Guide Others Assess the needs of others and one's own ability to assist; use strategies for providing guidance that take into account the goals, task, context, and learning styles of others; arrange opportunities for learning that build on learner's strengths, seek feedback on the usefulness and results of the assistance. EFF Lifelong Learning Skills Take Responsibility for Learning	Establish learning goals that are based on an understanding of one's own current and future learning needs; identify own strengths and weaknesses as a learner and seek out opportunities for learning that help build self-concept as a learner; become familiar with a range of learning strategies to acquire or retain knowledge; identify and use strategies appropriate to goals, task, context, and the resources available for learning; monitor progress toward goals and modify strategies or other features of the learning situation as necessary to achieve goals; test out new learning in real-life applications.
Reflect and Evaluate	Take stock of where one is: assess what one knows already and the relevance of that knowledge; make inferences, predictions, or judgments based on one's reflections.
Learn Through Research	Pose a question to be answered or make a prediction about objects or events; use multiple lines of inquiry to collect information; organize, evaluate, analyze, and interpret findings.
Use Information and Communications Technology	Use computers and other electronic tools to acquire, process, and manage information; use electronic tools to learn and practice skills; use the Internet to explore topics and gather information.

EFF Homepage