Editorial: Supporting Those On The Frontlines Attacking Illiteracy
Perspectives
On Reading: 6.2018
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.
That’s the number of words students
who read at least 30 minutes per day are projected to encounter between
kindergarten and 12th grade. By
the time they graduate, their peers who read less than 15 minutes per day will
have only encountered 1.5 million words throughout the course of their
schooling. Just 15 minutes more per day determines exponential levels of
vocabulary growth. For at-risk students, an extra 15 minutes a day can make the
difference between getting their diploma or dropping out.
This urgency to create and cultivate a love
of reading in children needs to start before kindergarten. In a study
of 3-5 year olds, it was found that those children that had been read to at
least three times a week were twice as likely to recognize all of the letters
and twice as likely to understand words in context. Children who enjoy reading
tend to read more often and reading to them early, even as young as infancy,
has benefits.
Our
libraries offer a beacon of hope against the rising tide of low literacy
skills. For families struggling to survive below the poverty limit, libraries
provide free resources for all ages, including story time and reading programs
for children. Many also offer tutoring and literacy classes for adults. For
individuals who speak and read a native language other than English, libraries
offer language learning classes. Parents working non-traditional hours know
that the library is a safe space for their children to spend time after school.
The value that libraries contribute to
their communities cannot be understated. Time and time again, across
multiple states and countries, study after study shows that for every $1 in
library funding, there’s a $4-$5 economic benefit to the community. Supporting
our local libraries is the most effective and efficient way to address the
literacy crisis head on.
Reading,
and having the ability to read, allows our neighbors and friends to make
informed decisions regarding their mental and physical health. Literacy
provides opportunities for jobs and career advancement. Literacy offers a
secure and safe environment for children to grow and thrive. Acquiring literacy
skills as an adult can alter the course of an individual’s life, putting them
on a path toward personal and professional success. With improved literacy
comes improved job opportunities. Gainful employment allows families to
flourish, giving children the opportunity to break the poverty cycle created by
illiteracy.
Along
with libraries, schools and publishers have opportunities to help. Here are
some ways organizations can promote literacy efforts:
LIBRARIES
SCHOOLS
PUBLISHERS
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