In this study, three different programs (Direct Literacy Program, Functional Adult Literacy Program and Easy Literacy) which makes the first phase of literacy courses were considered in terms of their literacy methods, materials they use, and the way they teach their instructors. In order to review the attendants' characteristics of the three literacy programs, from five different regions and 12 different courses of Istanbul, total 233 attendants have been interviewed individually. The attendants' characteristics (sex, marital status, age range, occupation, their spouse's occupation, number of their children, education level of their children, the time they have lived in İstanbul, from where they came to İstanbul, reason of being illiterate, how many times they have attend literacy courses, their beginning literacy level, how they get the beginning level and how they explain the reason of being literate) have been evaluated. By this way, it has been defined the general profile of the attendants in three literacy programs which have been implemented in İstanbul.