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of Adult Literacy
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NPR: 10.31.2013 by Kavitha Cardoza
This is the first report of a four-part series on adult education.
The national debate around education usually focuses on children in school. But there are 30 million adults in the U.S. who have trouble with basic literacy — they struggle to read a menu, a pay stub or a bus schedule. [Listen]
It also means it's difficult for them to get and hold onto the most basic jobs.
Tens of thousands of other adult learners are slowly and painstakingly trying to fill in the gaps of their rudimentary schooling. The long shadow of their unfinished education still follows them every day.
Learning Which Route To Take
Shirley Ashley flips through a folder of certificates she's
received in her adult education class. She stops at one that says "Top
Performer," points to the words and starts reading.
"I know this is 'top' something; that means I'm doing good," she says.
The word "performer" is still a jumble of letters because Ashley, at 55, never learned how to read. In school she was always in classes for students with learning disabilities, but Ashley says she wasn't learning anything.
"I felt as though they just passed me just to get me out of school," she says.
In the seventh grade, after one teacher told her, "Whether you learn to read or not, I still get paid," Ashley decided to drop out. READ MORE !
More From This Series
The wait to gain entry to adult English-language classes can be long. Once you're in, balancing class with family and job obligations can…
Millions of adults who grew up speaking a language other
than English are still held back by their language skills. [Listen]
A typical adult education program can take years for those who dropped out of high school. But a model that started in Washington state… [Listen]
Adults who can't read, write or speak English well affect
all of society, in a variety of ways. They contribute less to the economy,
cost…
Matthew Burke graduated from high school even though he was
reading at about the third-grade level. He got a job as a welder but found his
lack of reading skills held him back. (no podcast)
This report is part of American Graduate: Let's Make It
Happen, a public media initiative to address the dropout crisis, supported by
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
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