The Americans Who Can't Read via BBC News

The Americans who can't read

BBC News: 10.30.2017 by Aleem Maqbool for BBC's America First? series

The US has more citizens who are illiterate - some 16 million people - than many of its developed counterparts. Why is that?

Many complain that the system fails those who need extra help and there is a big disparity between rich and poor areas.

Being illiterate prevents people from getting jobs. But it is not only that.

Peggy Fleming, who lives in Kentucky, one of the worst-performing states, said she wanted to set an example for her children by being able to read and write. "I wanted to be a better mum," she says.  WATCH VIDEO

Library Outsourcing Vote Is An Outrage :: Escondido Public Library

Letter to the Editor: Library Outsourcing Vote Is An Outrage

Times Advocate: 10.26.2017 by John Donel, MLS, Escondido

As senior librarian at the Escondido Public Library I wish to thank the citizens of Escondido who have opposed Library outsourcing. Your dedicated, courageous and unwavering support of the Library and its staff in this ongoing struggle to keep the Library a non-profit, government institution is very much appreciated. Although city council voted to outsource the Library, the supporters did not lose. A very few narrow-minded city officials, pretending to be leaders, “won” a biased, unfair vote in council chambers, but they lost in life.

They lost because in order to rationalize their poorly researched decision they had to present biased, inaccurate and one-sided information. They had to bully and intimidate the public and staff. They had to dismiss documented facts and statistics presented by professional librarians, library directors, independent outside experts and the Library Board of Trustees, and blindly accept the LSS sales pitch. Yes, they sold their soul and the soul of the community, the Library, to LSS for money. A truly despicable action for those who are supposed to be servants of the people. And by disregarding the will of the people they shamed themselves and dishonored our Constitutional rights and democratic principles of free speech and open and honest government. Yes, indeed they lost in a very big way.

On the other hand, to those who have opposed Library outsourcing, you can take both pride and comfort in that you have supported the Library and staff during a time of great stress. Your opposition to a dictatorial government “process” has supported the best of democratic ideals and principles. You have won in the hearts, minds and souls of the people and that is what matters most.

And it must be said that while the decision to outsource to a low quality, poorly managed and unethical company like LSS is bad enough, even worse has been the closed minded “process” by which this decision has been pushed by a few political bullies in city government. This “done deal” from the very beginning has been disgraceful, dishonest and disrespectful of due process, ignored objectivity in decision making, as well as openness and transparency in government.

As a Library staff member it has been difficult to watch the negative effect on staff morale this “process” has had as staff have been dismissed, disrespected and even intimidated from speaking. The suggestion that a poorly run company like LSS, that dispenses library services “on the cheap”, can provide better quality service is insulting to current Library staff and flies in the face of California library statistics that show LSS libraries in the lowest 10% of every measure of library quality.

And as a citizen of Escondido it has been extremely disappointing to see how a very few bullies in city government have disrespected democratic principles and disenfranchised the people of Escondido by pushing a proposal that no one outside of city hall supports. Fortunately, our democracy is strong and as it has many times in the past, will survive the narrow minded decisions of those few who do not understand how to be true leaders in an inclusive and open democracy.

Literacy – Spanning North America :: Chicago IL :: Delaware Co PA :: Pensacola FL :: Revelstoke BC

Literacy: Spanning North America

@LiteracyChicago

Do good this week with Literacy Chicago

Chicago Tribune: 9.20.2017 by Shelbie Lynn Bostedt

If English is your first language, you might take the ability to open your mouth and effectively communicate with other English speakers for granted.

Literacy Chicago is hoping to bring that ease and confidence to those who didn’t grow up speaking English, by offering free classes open to all Chicagoans.

“Imagine not being able to read prescription medication or talk to a teacher about your child,” said Richard Dominguez, executive director for Literacy Chicago.

Literacy Chicago was founded in 1968 as two separate organizations: Literacy Volunteers of Chicago and the Literacy Council of Chicago. The two merged in 1992. Two and a half decades later, Literacy Chicago as we know it today continues to expand its efforts to help Chicagoans learn English as their second—or sometimes third or fourth—language.

According to Literacy Chicago, thousands of adults new to Chicago come to their organization for ESL classes, workforce development assistance, GED preparation, path to citizenship guidance and transportation assistance.  READ MORE >>

Delaware Co Literacy

DCLC honors local filmmaker as ‘Champion of Adult Literacy’ Oct. 25

Delco Times: 9.20.2017

Jamal Hill is an unlikely celebrity. He moved from New York to Darby at an early age and attended Penn Wood High School and Community College of Philadelphia. As an adult, he owned and operated Superstars Barbershop in Darby. Yet he is an award-winning filmmaker who writes his own scripts and has worked with Will Smith and Lady Gaga, among others.

Because of his success and his appreciation of literacy, Hill will be honored as a Champion of Adult Literacy by the Delaware County Literacy Council at their fifth annual Champions of Adult Literacy Fundraiser and Friendly Quizzo Competition on Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 6-8 p.m., at Harrah’s Casino.

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As a Champion of Adult Literacy, Hill wants to inspire the adult students who study reading, writing, and English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Literacy Council. He hopes his story will encourage them to continue improving their skills and to do everything it takes to make their dreams a reality.  READ MORE >>

Learn To Read

Northwest Florida

Organization teams up with people who struggle with literacy

WEAR TV: 6.20.2017 by Christina Leavenworth

September is Florida's Adult and Family Literacy month. Around one in five people in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are deemed illiterate. Learn to Read of Northwest Florida is trying to change that statistic.

Dwayne White partners with a tutor from the organization Learn to Read four days a week. He's learning how to spell, how many syllables are in a word, and falling in love with the joy of reading.

He said it wasn't easy making the decision to learn to read at 49-years-old.

"I was nervous, scared, embarrassed," said White

White dropped out of school in 9th grade and he eventually became homeless. "I want to get me a job, it's kind of hard because my reading," said White.

Now he's on a different path. He's studying for his GED and learning to read, one word at a time.  WATCH VIDEO

Adult literacy tutoring at Okanagan College in Revelstoke offers rewarding experiences

Volunteer at Okanagan College to help learners with basic reading, writing, math, computer skills and English language skills.

Revelstoke Mountaineer: 9.21.2017

Being a volunteer tutor for The Revelstoke Volunteer Adult Literacy Tutoring Program at Okanagan College is a rewarding experience.

“I really believe that literacy is a really important thing,” said one of the program’s volunteer tutors. “Everyone should give something back to the community and this is where I choose to place my importance. In my life people have taught me how to do things, so giving back is a good thing.”

The program offers free and confidential tutoring to anyone 19 years or older. Volunteer tutors help learners who want to work on basic reading, writing, computer, English language and math skills.

Volunteer tutors are matched with learners and the tutoring sessions are between one and three hours, once or twice a week. The tutoring sessions all take place in a public space.

Learners get to improve their literacy skills while the volunteer tutors get to reap the rewards of seeing how these improved skills can change lives.

“I think it’s super important for people to be literate. Our world is a very literate world and if you can’t do basic reading or basic numbers than it’s a hard place,” said a volunteer tutor.  READ MORE >>

National Literacy & Library Events :: November 2017

National Literacy & Library Events :: November 2017

SCLLN

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences

- Local, California and National -

visit

the Southern California Library Literacy Network

for more information

National Family Literacy Month

National Novel Writing Month

National Picture Book Month

Jewish Book Month Nov. 12 – Dec 12

Oct. 29+  International Games Week @ Your Library

Nov. 02+ ALER Conference St. Petersburg FL

Nov. 03   Colorado Health Literacy Coalition Conference University of Colorado

Nov. 03+ Jump$tart National Educator Con Washington DC

Nov. 03+ KidLitCon 2017 Hershey PA

Nov. 03+ Young Adult Services Symposium Louisville KY

Nov. 06   Global Read Aloud - Any Mem Fox Book

Nov. 08+ International Dyslexia Association Conference Atlanta GA

Nov. 08+ National Black Storytelling Festival and Conference Wichita KS

Nov. 09+ American Association of School Librarians Conf Phoenix AZ

Nov. 10+ YallFest Charleston SC

Nov. 12+ Children’s Illustration Celebration R Michelson Galleries MA

Nov. 12   Norton Juster Award for Devotion to Literacy R Michelson Galleries MA

Nov. 13+ American Education Week

Nov. 13+ Global Education Conference Cyber Space

Nov. 15+ CAEL Council for Adult & Experiential Learning Conf San Diego CA

Nov. 15+ LERN Conference Portland OR

Nov. 15+ NAEYC Conference Atlanta GA

Nov. 15   Building the Case for Health Literacy: A Workshop Washington, DC

Nov. 16+ Library Marketing and Communications Conference Dallas TX

Nov. 16+ National Council of Teachers of English St. Louis MO

Nov. 16   National Writing Project Conference St. Louis MO

Nov. 17+ ACTFL Convention Nashville TN

Nov. 18   Tellabration  Have the Talk of a Lifetime

Nov. 23+ The Great Listen 2017

Nov. 29+ LRA National Reading Conference Tampa FL

Nov. 29+ Zero to Three San Diego CA

State Library Associations :: Conferences

African American Book Events

Book Fairs by State Library of Congress

Children’s Book Council Kid Lit Events

College Children’s & Young Adult Literature Conferences Festivals

Everfest Book Festival Calendar

ILA :: Literacy Calendar Worldwide

Storytelling Events

US Book Festivals

Literacy Lives: How Someone You Probably Never Heard of Deserves the Nobel Prize :: Frank Laubach

Literacy Lives: How Someone You Probably Never Heard of Deserves the Nobel Prize

Huffington Post: 10.21.2017 by Lily Casura

Frank Laubach

I can still remember the first time I learned about Frank Laubach, a Congregationalist minister known in his time as “the apostle to the illiterates,” who almost singlehandedly dragged the developing world into literacy — and for the most practical of reasons.

Sent over — erm, choosing to go — to minister to the warring Moros, a Muslim tribe in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines shortly after WWI broke out, he recognized instantly he had a different problem on his hands, more immediate than the need to share the gospel. No one except the elite were able to read and write, and consequently villagers were being taken advantage of and entrapped on a regular basis by what they didn’t have the means to understand.

For Laubach, who would probably be shocked by the high levels of illiteracy still present in 21st century America, it was second nature to connect the ability to read and write with full participation in civic life. From his autobiography, “Forty Years with the Silent Billion: Adventuring in Literacy:”

“You think it is a pity they cannot read, but the real tragedy is that they have no voice in public affairs, they never vote, they are never represented in any conference, they are the silent victims, the forgotten men, driven like animals, mutely submitting in every age before and since the pyramids were built. It is human weakness not to become aware of suffering until we hear a cry. The illiterate majority of the human race does not know how to make its cry reach us, and we never dream how (much) these millions suffer.”

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By the time Laubach died at 85 years old in 1970, his record of achievements was legendary:

~ He had traveled to 103 countries;

~ Created literacy primers in 313 languages;

~ Written 43 books;

~ Opened literacy and journalism centers at colleges throughout the United States;

~ Was on the cover of “Time” magazine; and was

~ Celebrated by luminaries as “the foremost teacher of our time,” “the father of literacy,” and “one of the top five men in the world today.” 

ProLiteracy

READ MORE >>

Health Literacy Month :: What is Health Literacy ?

What is health literacy?

Westminster Clinic

Health literacy measures your ability to obtain,

process and understand basic health information…

…and then use that information

to make informed and appropriate healthcare decisions.

Because of poor health literacy….

50% OF PATIENTS

leave their doctor appointments not knowing what they were told or what they are supposed to do.

Poor health literacy is linked to 100,000 deaths every year.

People with poor health literacy skills are more likely to:

Report their health as poor.

Visit an emergency room.

Spend more for their healthcare.

Have chronic conditions and not know how to manage them.

What you can do:

There are several simple steps you can take to improve your health literacy, including:

At the doctor’s office, ask questions if something is not clear, or if you don’t understand.

Repeat care instructions back to the doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

When leaving the doctor’s office or other healthcare facility, ask for written instructions.

Bring a friend or family member to appointments:

Two pairs of ears are better than one. Your friend or family member may catch something you’ve missed.

Educate yourself. Resources like the free healthcare app iTriage can help you learn about conditions, procedures and medications.

Literacy – Spanning North America :: Longmont CO :: Frederick Co MD :: Fort John BC

Literacy: Spanning North America

Intercambio

Help Immigrants to Learn English and Transform their Lives – The Live & Give Project

Longmont Observer: 9.16.2017

We believe that Longmont is safer and more prosperous when everyone can communicate! More than 1,300 immigrants in Longmont have worked to improve their lives with Intercambio’s English classes. Each week, our home teachers help adult immigrants learn and practice the skills they need to find better jobs, communicate with their children’s teachers, and be involved in the community. Your support can enable 27 adults to participate in our home classes and gain the skills to transform their families’ lives.

Both recent immigrants and long-term residents can be isolated by language and cultural barriers. Learning English, understanding cultural norms and forming personal connections helps immigrants to change their lives— and the lives of their families—for years to come. Learning English is essential, but immigrants also need the confidence to make mistakes while practicing English. English classes in the immigrant’s home help to build confidence for students who are not comfortable in a class setting, especially for those with limited formal education. These home classes, taught by community volunteers trained and supported by Intercambio staff, are also helpful for working parents and those with transportation barriers or difficult work schedules.

All Intercambio students use our “Interactive English” curriculum, designed to meet the specific needs of adult immigrants for real life skills and knowledge, including employment and job search preparation, financial literacy, cultural skills, housing, health, transportation, US laws and police, and participating in the school system.  READ MORE @

@LCFC3

Reading in unity: Literacy Council helps clients build language skills, confidence

Frederick News Post: 9.18.2017 by Cameron Dodd

When Young Sil Ryu started English lessons at the Literacy Council of Frederick County in 2015, she was shy. When listening to her tutor speak, Ryu kept her eyes toward the floor.

Ryu is originally from Seoul, South Korea, and has lived in Frederick for 25 years, interacting mostly with her husband and two children. At 53, she’s younger than Julie Heifetz, her tutor. Korean etiquette considers eye contact with an elder who is speaking impolite.

Now, after more than two years of individual tutoring through the Literacy Council, Ryu not only looks up when people speak, she watches Heifetz’s mouth to learn how to form the words.

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“When I first came to the United States, I was very shy to try to talk in English,” Ryu said. “I feel more confident [now].”

Ryu is one of many Frederick County residents who rely on local nonprofits offering services for immigrants and others seeking help with their English-language skills.  READ MORE @

@LOCfsj

Learning English, one phrase at a time

Literacy Society works to improve community interactions

Alaska Highway News: 9.20.2017 by Aleisha Hendry

Wahid Gerber is learning to speak English.

She’s a refugee from Ethiopia and has only been in Canada for a few months. On this sunny September day, she is working with Adam Kelderman, an instructor at the Fort St. John Literacy Society.

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Before coming to Canada, Gerber had very little skills in reading and writing, including in her own language, Tigrinya, which is a regional language in Ethiopia. Taking the classes at the literacy society will help her as she adjusts to life in Canada.

“It gives her the skills so she can access the world out there, anything from sending a letter to talking on the phone, buying a shirt—you need some degree of English so you understand responses,” Kelderman said.

Kelderman teaches eight English classes a week, ranging from total beginners like Gerber, to those ready to move on to a GED program. Students are from all over the world, including Brazil, Nigeria, Japan, Isreal, Iran, and Germany.

The literacy society is dedicated to promoting literacy in the community through programs and learning opportunities. The organization held an open house Sept. 13 to show the public what they do in the community.

“Literacy is not just reading and writing—it’s general communication with people and it's so critically important that it really does improve the interactions in the community, whether it be at work, at home, between family members. It increases that morale to be able to community effectively,” said executive director Jessica Kalman.  READ MORE @

Health Literacy Innovations :: Health Literacy Month

@HLIinnovations 

Health Literacy Overview & Publications

  Health Literacy Innovations

  Improving Health Literacy

  One Word at a Time

 What is Health Literacy?

Who Health Literacy Affects

The Cost of Health Literacy

The Impact of Health Literacy on Health Care Delivery

Publications

Health Literacy and Patient Safety: Help Patients Understand

IOM Health Literacy and Numeracy Workshop Summary

Health Literacy and AHIP: Laying the Foundation and Beyond

Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective

Infographic: The facts about health literacy

HHS/CMS Uniform Glossary of Terms

Teaching Patients with Low Health Literacy Skills

Health Literacy Implications of the Affordable Care Act

National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy

READ MORE @