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Literacy: Spanning North America      

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Understanding Doctors Orders

Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: 1.24.2019 by Kris Dudley

    

Reading and understanding a doctor’s directions or prescriptions can be mind boggling, for anyone, but if you’re not a reader, imagine the implications and frustrations.

Knowing when, what dose and time of day is frustrating and downright dangerous for those with poor reading skills and comprehension.

Taking steps to help people are medical clinicians and pharmacists who see a number of people who can’t read or don’t speak English.

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Patty Leach, director at Family HealthCare Clinic, 1820 Hensley Blvd., sees poor literacy as a problem at her medical facility.

As a proactive prevention step, the facility engages clients in several steps. Little paperwork is required by patients to fill out to avoid confusion or embarrassment. An intake nurse visits with the patient and records medical information.

This is helpful for two reasons.

Relationships are developed between the staff and patient, and eliminates embarrassment for the client who perhaps cannot read.

“One of the major tips we receive is ‘Can you read this? I forgot my glasses.’ We always know then,” said Leach.

Directions are reviewed before patients go home, and clients are free to call if questions arise.

If the medical facility knows a patient can’t read, a pharmacist is alerted to make sure directions are read to the patient before they leave the pharmacy.

The Bartlesville Public Library also has ways of helping with prescription questions.

“The library is pleased to be our community’s source of information. Our reference desk has printed medical and prescription resources that we can direct patrons to, or assist them with. We also suggest internet resources and assist with internet research when asked. We love to help,” said Shellie McGill, library director.

The Bartlesville Literacy Council focuses on four divisions, Joanie Elmore said. Elmore is a literacy council member who speaks to area clubs and organizations about the council’s work. Health literacy is one of those four.  READ MORE >>

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Jail Program Teaches Inmates About Parenting

Bronx News 12: 1.28.2019

A program in the Vernon C. Bain Center helps inmates learn about what it means to be a parent.

The program, called SMART, stands for Specialized Model for Adult Re-entry and Training and is done in partnership with the nonprofit organization Samaritan Daytop Village.

During the class, inmates are taught how to be a good parent outside of jail. They are asked to reflect on their own childhood experiences and who they viewed as a role model growing up.  WATCH 01:45

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Family Key To Literacy, Say Cape Breton Advocates

Cape Breton Post: 1.27.2019

Family time plays a major role in literacy, according to reading advocates.

During an annual literacy day event in Sydney, the McConnell Library hosted a children’s carnival with a variety of activities meant to be fun and inspiring.

Tara MacNeil, library program co-ordinator, said family plays a major role in developing a child’s reading and math skills.

“Even if you’re a mom or dad, your schedule is busy — you’re up, you’re doing things — but that bedroom story is important, or helping with homework, or showing your child how to measure,” said MacNeil.

“All of these things are teaching your kids lessons and making the world around them more familiar.”

Each year, ABC Life Literacy Canada hosts its Family Literacy Day in January — considered the largest national family literacy event in Canada.  READ MORE >>

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Library To Create Digital Literacy Curriculum With Dream Literacy Grant

Index Journal: 1.30.2019

Greenwood County Library has been selected as one of 16 public libraries nationwide to receive a $10,000 American Dream Literacy Initiative grant from the American Library Association (ALA) and Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

With the funding, Greenwood County Library will create an entirely new Digital Literacy curriculum for adult literacy and English as a Second Language learners, conduct the classes, create a computer lab learning space for the classes and expand the current Adult Literacy and ESL collection of materials available at the library.

Prudence Taylor, Director of the Greenwood County Library said, “This grant money will be vital in helping us offer computer and internet access to many of our students and other community members who are currently unable to navigate the internet on their own. Nearly every occupation requires a basic level of digital literacy with web navigation, email access and participation in social media. Now, so many job listings and applications are exclusively online that it is very difficult for persons who are unable to use a computer to find employment.”

Pattie Fender, Adult Literacy and ESL Program Coordinator concurs. “It is almost impossible for many of our students to reach their employment and personal goals without the requisite computer skills. This grant will allow us to create a curriculum and lab space especially for our adult learners with instruction tailored specifically to their needs.”  READ MORE >>