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Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

Kingsessing: Developing Adult Literacy Provides Opportunities

Philadelphia Neighborhoods: 10.31.2017 by Lian Parsons

@Center4Literacy

Eight years ago, Darrow Lyons’ wife encouraged him to join Never 2 Late, an adult literacy program offered through the Center for Literacy, an organization that provides programs to adult learners.

The 63-year-old South Philly resident has been attending classes ever since. The program is held at the Kingsessing Branch of the Free Library every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

“At 17 and 18, I couldn’t fill out an application because I couldn’t read,” he said.  “As I got older, it was like a freak thing.”

Lyons isn’t alone – according to CFL, approximately 550,000 Philadelphians are considered low literate. A 2003 survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics reported that an estimated 22 percent of Philadelphians lacked basic literacy skills.

There are 715 students currently enrolled in adult education classes at CFL.  WATCH VIDEO

@LiteracyKC

New KC program allows individuals to obtain HS diploma, career certification

KSHB: 11.09.2017 by Andres Gutierrez

Like many parents, Tierra Lewis helps her children with their homework after school. A year-and-a-half ago Lewis started doing her own homework alongside them.

"Sometimes they play the teacher and I'll be the student and then I'm the teacher and they are the student so we kind of think of different ways to make it fun," Lewis said.

Lewis, 30, dropped out of high school 13 years ago to take care of her kids.

Recently, Lewis wanted to obtain her GED.

A simple Google search led her to Literacy Kansas City, who recommended that she apply to their "Career Online High School" (COHS).

It's a program the non-profit began with the Kansas City and Mid-Continental Public Libraries that allows individuals to obtain a high school diploma and a certification in a career path.

"My children are seeing me now get my education and so they understand the importance of getting an education and they also see that it's never too late to follow your dreams," Lewis said. 

She is now among the 13 graduates in COHS' inaugural class who received a diploma during a ceremony Thursday evening at the Plaza library branch.  WATCH VIDEO

Literacy Council 

Garland County

Literacy Council changing teaching method

Press Reader (The Sentinel): 11.12.2017

When adults participate in literacy programs, they not only get personal benefits, they benefit the entire region. Increased literacy skills lead to a more talented and prepared labor market, higher employment rates, greater participation in additional education, increased job prospects.

One Literacy Council of Garland County volunteer tutor, Karen Campbell, has been working with Kevin Cunningham since December 2013. After "expressing disappointment that he's not progressing as fast as he expects to," they visited with Laura Lee Williard, executive director. According to the release, she informed them that "their timing could not have been more fortunate," because they had just purchased the first two levels of the Barton Reading & Spelling System: An Orton-Gillingham Influenced program for literacy learning. The Barton method is a program that addresses dyslexia in both adults and children. Campbell and Cunningham "think the Barton method looks more promising for Kevin's literacy needs."

The Literacy Council of Garland County is pursuing the purchase of the site license for all 10 levels of the Barton method, which would streamline the intake process and its training of volunteer tutors and reduce its future expenses for curriculum. The council's vision is to train a Barton tutor in every neighborhood to remove barriers to literacy tutoring.  READ MORE >>

@WALCWF

Illiteracy a spiral that feeds itself

Times Record News: 11.14.2017 by Carla Smith, Wichita Adult Literacy Council

My name is Carla Smith. I am the person you usually talk to first when you call the Wichita Adult Literacy Council.

I worked with WALC for three years with a wonderful retraining program for seniors called Experience Works. A position as Administrative Assistant opened, and I officially joined WALC as staff a year ago.

As I register tutors and students every day, I often think about when we were young we spent our time dreaming about how quickly we could get out of school. As our lives changed, we realized that maybe, we should have paid better attention and stayed a little longer.

But, in fact, one in six young adults actually do drop out. Many people found that good job in the oil patch that paid so well seemed worth leaving school for only to find that could not be counted on for security.

We discover our Christmas job didn’t pan out because it really was “just seasonal.” There was a fast food job but it didn’t offer hours that were conducive to raising a family and the pay couldn’t support a family.  READ MORE >>