Adult literacy remains a pedagogical and social problem to be addressed in Brazil. Youth and Adult Education (YAE) is the modality that addresses adults and presents itself as an inclusive education model. Pedagogical practices for teaching adults are not a consensus in teacher training, and this study seeks to investigate how scientific production on adult literacy has been presented in Brazil over the last seven years and what are the theoretical and methodological foundations that guide it. The methodology is an integrative review of academic production on adult literacy, with a focus on Paulo Freire. No articles were found on Rudolf Steiner and YAE. The integrative review revealed how adult literacy is a challenge: because of the contradictions between what is laid down in law and what is practiced; because of the lack of a specific pedagogical approach for training teachers and because of the limited funding for this modality. The use of art proves to be viable, as it is a playful resource that can increase student engagement. Academic research has multiple possibilities for conducting and deepening, with all paths being fruitful if conducted rigorously and with internal coherence, and points to the need to continue with empirical research on YAE in broader cities and state spheres.