Literacy: Spanning the U.S. - Kern Co CA, Florida, Orlando FL, Madison Co NY

Literacy:  Spanning the U.S.

Kern must keep working on its pervasive illiteracy problem

BakersfieldCalifornian: 12.09.2013 by Jeff Nickell, Executive Director-Kern Adult Literacy Council

It's not a title any community would want, but it's a distinction we must acknowledge: More than any other place in America, Kern County needs help with its reading. And that's exactly why the Kern Adult Literacy Council is here.

The KALC, a 501c3 non-profit organization, offers free tutoring through a number of programs and learning modalities. Its services are needed now more than ever. Bakersfield is the least literate city in the U.S. with a population over 250,000 people, according to a 2013 study by Central Connecticut State University. Many have said the study is flawed because it factors in things like the number of hours our libraries are open and how many bookstores we have, but more relevant statistics support that ranking as well.

The numbers do not lie. Kern County's literacy problem, according to the 2010 American Community Survey, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, comes down to this:

* 28.1 percent of local adults lack the reading skills to successfully perform everyday life tasks such as reading medication directions and road signs.
* 15 percent of adults have not attained a 9th grade literacy level.
* 13.9 percent of adults lack the basic literacy skills necessary to perform daily job functions.  READ MORE !

2014 Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida!

January 13-17, 2014
Florida Dept of Education - Just Read, Florida!

"Reading Accelerates Success"

We're already building excitement for Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! (CLW) which will be held January 13-17, 2014! Our theme "Reading Accelerates Success" encourages our students to connect literacy with all kinds of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This year we are providing a unique experience to students throughout the state that will help to solidify the importance of literacy and its tie to STEM in the minds of our children. Our educational partners are joining the Just Read, Florida! to bring portable planetariums to elementary and middle schools so that students can sit under the stars and learn how reading relates to science and space technology. We'll talk about constellations and their relationship to mythology, planets, space exploration, and bring it all back to the importance of literacy.  READ MORE !

At 24, he's learning to read with tutoring from Adult Literacy League

Orlando Sentinel: 12.26.2013 by Mary Shanklin

The worn pages of Jeremy White's spiral notebook are filled with blue-ink sentences repeated over and over.

At an age when most young adults are focused on paychecks, parties and personal relationships, the bright, 24-year-old Orlando resident is learning to read and write.

After about a year of tutoring at the Adult Literacy League south of downtown Orlando, he can now read T-shirt messages, basic sentences and words that flash on the television screen. Soon, he hopes, he'll be able to tell time by reading the hands on an analog clock.

"I can see myself improving, and I'm looking forward to working at a place like Universal Studios or as a bagger or stocker," said White, who has no job now. "I'm 100 percent dedicated to learning to read. I didn't come here to slack off. I came here to learn to read."

White is among 1,500 students getting help from the league, one of the nonprofit agencies supported by the Orlando Sentinel Family Fund. He started attending weekly classes in May 2012, and it took about five months to connect him with a tutor.

Gina Berko-Solomon, the league's director, said the dropout rate in classes can be high because students need one-on-one attention. Tutors have become scarce as more jobs have opened up. About 135 students are on a waiting list for tutors.  READ MORE !

Madison County Literacy Coalition has a lot to offer children, adults

Oneidad Dispatch: 12.25.2013 by Shafali Desnoyers

In Madison County:

-28 percent of fourth graders have fallen behind in reading.

-63 percent of children under five are not enrolled in early education programs.

-17 percent of adults don't have a high school diploma or equivalency credential.

-10 percent of adults cannot read and understand this news report.

These statistics are the motivation behind the mission of the Literacy Coalition of Madison County, a private, nonprofit association, which has a goal to expand literacy in people’s lives for an improved future. More information can also be found at all county libraries.  READ MORE !