Literacy – Spanning the US :: Greensboro NC ::Kingsport TN :: Cleveland OH :: Souderton PA

Literacy: Spanning the U.S.     

@readingconnect

Reading Is Fundamental – Even In Jail

Rhino Times: 11.26.2018 by Scott D. Yost

High Point often considers itself the “red-headed step child” when it comes to Guilford County government, and, whenever Greensboro gets a county service, High Point wants that service too. This even holds true in the jails and now the High Point jail looks like it will finally get what by all accounts is a positive program that’s proven successful in the Greensboro jail – a new inmate literacy program meant to teach inmates better reading and communication skills

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If the commissioners approve the allocation, the adult literacy program – Reading Connections – will be available to inmates at the county jail in High Point, just as it is in the jail in Greensboro. Guilford County Sheriff’s Department staff say the program has been successful in improving literacy among inmates in Greensboro, and a pilot program was conducted with male inmates at the High Point jail last year – and that produced positive results.

This potential expansion of the literacy program is the latest in an effort to avoid recidivism among inmates held in the county’s two jails. In recent years Guilford County has adopted several programs to address drug use, mental health issues and other challenges common among inmates.  READ MORE >>

@LiteracyKP

Literacy Council, Kiwanis Club Honor Volunteers With 'Legacy' Awards

Times News: 11.26.2018 by Dawn Blake

The Literacy Council of Kingsport partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Kingsport to recognize volunteers for their commitment to literacy at the annual Literacy Legacy Volunteer Recognition and Appreciation Dinner. The event was held on Thursday, Nov. 15, at The Press Room in Downtown Kingsport.

Kiwanis International focuses on serving children of the world with projects that support children in a manner that will positively impact their lives. The Kiwanis Club of Kingsport was chartered in 1924 and celebrates over 90 years of service in Kingsport. In 2001, the Kiwanis Club of Kingsport began the Kiwanis Reading Program to encourage reading in several elementary schools in the Kingsport City School system.

The single greatest indicator of a child’s future success is the literacy level of the parents. More than 36 million American adults struggle to read, write, do math, and use technology above a third grade level. According to ProLiteracy, children of parents with low literacy skills have a 72 percent chance of being at the lowest reading level themselves.

The Literacy Council of Kingsport is honored to recognize volunteers whose commitment to literacy is invaluable. In 2017, volunteers provided over 7,790 hours of service, which is an estimated value of $188,050.  READ MORE >>

@seedsofliteracy

2 out of 3 Clevelanders Are Functionally Illiterate. So What Are We Doing About It?

Freshwater Cleveland: 11.29.2018 by Ken Schneck

Rose sits in the corner at a large round table hunched over a worksheet in her bright blue knit sweater. There are peanut-butter sandwich crackers to her left, a pile of pencils to her right, and Roget’s Super Thesaurus in front of her. The lesson of the day is “The Cell,” and the multiple-choice questions on the sheet will test her comprehension of mitosis and the life span of various types of cells from red blood to liver.

“I like science,” she remarks. “I want to be a pharmacy assistant, so this is important stuff."

She pauses. Then laughs.

“Or maybe I want to open a restaurant."

At 60 years old, Rose has big dreams, but knows the first step towards any of her myriad goals is to get her GED. One of 22 siblings, she dropped out of high school many moons ago when she became pregnant. Raising four boys has understandably dominated the entirety of her life to date.

Then on June 4, 2018, on a routine walk to the store in her Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, she looked in the window of Seeds of Literacy and saw Kara Krawiec, the site coordinator for the east side location.

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Rose’s story is one marked by an uncommon persistence in the face of an illiteracy epidemic that is shockingly commonplace. More than 36 million U.S. adults lack basic English literacy with study after study proving a direct correlation between illiteracy and the cycle of poverty.

Here in Cleveland, 66 percent of the city’s adults are functionally illiterate.

Pause there and read that last sentence again.

This staggering statistic does not result in an inability to read the latest pulp novel, but rather is an issue of our neighbors struggling to interpret the prescription on a new medication or decipher an RTA bus route in the face of a breakdown on the Rapid. This issue becomes even more striking when you take into account that illiteracy is distinctly hereditary: a mother’s reading level is the chief determinant to a child’s success.  READ MORE >>

@KeystoneOpp

Keystone Opportunity Center's Family Literacy Program Returns

Times Herald: 11.29.2018 by Bob Keeler

English as a Second Language, adult education, parenting education, interactive literacy and early childhood education are all part of Keystone Opportunity Center's Family Literacy program.

"Literacy overall is hugely important to being able to sustain your family, being able to have enough money to support yourself and your relatives," said Keystone Executive Director Arlene Daily.

The program is for pre-kindergarten age children and their parents or other family members, such as a grandparent or uncle or aunt who is a caregiver for the child, to learn together, Susan Clauser, Keystone's director of adult education, said.

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Many of the young children in the program aren't learning English at home, she said.

"They're learning their native language, but when they come to Family Literacy, they're being exposed to English," she said.

The program helps prepare the children for kindergarten, she said.

"The ultimate goal would be that they can enter kindergarten with little or no ESL support," she said.  READ MORE >>