Supporting those on the frontlines attacking illiteracy
Perspectives
on Reading: June
2018 by Steve Potash, Publisher, Founder and CEO of OverDrive
If you’re able to read this,
congratulations.
Thirty-two million adults in the United States can’t.
The
ability to read has value beyond just picking up your local newspaper or
discussing the latest New York Times bestseller with your book club. For half
of our population, their literacy skills are so low they’re unable to read
prescription drug labels, and 20 percent of Americans read below the level
needed to earn a living wage.
Studies
also find that children whose parents have low literacy levels have a 72
percent chance of being at low literacy levels themselves, and research shows
that 2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade
will end up in jail or on welfare. The correlation is so strong that some
states even use elementary school reading tests to determine the number of
prison beds to budget for in the future.
Our
communities are in crisis because of insufficient literacy skills. Children
growing up in homes without books are at risk, and the only way we can change
course toward a more positive future is by fostering a love of reading early
and often. Learning about programs that aim to accomplish this is what this new
online magazine, Perspectives on Reading, is all about. We’re always interested
in your viewpoint.
13.7
MILLION.
That’s
the number of words students who read at least 30 minutes per day are projected
to encounter between kindergarten and 12th grade.
This
urgency to create and cultivate a love of reading in children needs to start
before kindergarten.
The
value that libraries contribute to their communities cannot be understated.
Here
are some ways organizations can promote literacy efforts:
Children
Kids
and Family Reading Report, Scholastic
Kids
Count Data Center, Annie
E. Casey Foundation
National/State
Report Cards – Reading, NCES
State
of Preschool, NIEER
2018: Education
Leader’s Guide to Reading Growth, Renaissance
2009:
Developing Early Literacy, National Early
Literacy Panel - NIFL
2003: The
Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3, American
Educator
Workplace
2018: A
Stronger Nation: Learning beyond high school builds American talent, Lumina
2017: UpSkilling
Playbook for Employers, Aspen
Institute
2015:
Skills Gap Report, NAM-MI
2008:
Reach Higher America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, NCAL
2007:
America’s Perfect Storm, ETS
2007:
Can California Import Enough College Grad's. Meet Workforce Needs?, PPIC
2007:
Mounting Pressures: Workforce . . . Adult Ed, NCAL
From
Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in
2018, OCLC
Libraries Matter: Impact Research: Bibliography, ALA
2017
Library & Literacy Funding Chart: FY 2017 -by President, House, and Senate, ALA (excel file)
Library & Literacy Funding Chart: FY 2017 -by President, House, and Senate, ALA (excel file)
2011
Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, ALA
2008
From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America, OCLC
2007
Worth Their Weight: Assessment . . . Library Valuation, Americans for Libraries Council
Return On Investment - Economic Impact of Public Libraries (various ROIs), WI Dept Public Instruction
Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, ALA
2008
From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America, OCLC
2007
Worth Their Weight: Assessment . . . Library Valuation, Americans for Libraries Council
Return On Investment - Economic Impact of Public Libraries (various ROIs), WI Dept Public Instruction
Public
Libraries – A Wise Investment - Library
Research Service
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