5 Ways to Prevent the Traumatizing Effect of Reading Difficulties for Your Students via Reading Horizons

@ReadingHorizons

5 Ways to Prevent the Traumatizing Effect of Reading Difficulties for Your Students

Reading Horizons Blog: 10.25.2019 by Angela

“Horrified,” “brutal,” “nerve-wracking,” “awful,” “fear every moment” are a mix of terms and phrases used by struggling readers with dyslexia to describe their school experience in a two-part episode of Podclassed.

In the episode, host Laura Axtell points out that the vividness of the memories and the intensity of the words used by the adults in this episode to describe their school experiences mimic the pattern of recall of individuals who have experienced trauma through war, abuse, or other painful experiences.

Although watching a student struggle in school may not seem as devastating as other traumatic experiences, the feeling of failure and shame can produce a level of anxiety and depression that can be extremely difficult for these students to bear and overcome. These are powerful and difficult realizations. However, there are also a lot of things that can be done to prevent these feelings and experiences for struggling readers.

Screen every student for dyslexia

By screening each of your students for dyslexia, you open up several doors for at-risk students. First, you can point parents in the right direction for diagnosis when a student does show the risk factors of dyslexia. For many students, knowing the cause of their difficulty is freeing. When they know that their difficulties aren’t the result of stupidity but that their brains simply work differently, they are often empowered to learn how to work with their brains and embrace the unique abilities that result from dyslexia.

Second, you can identify which students are at-risk for reading difficulties. By knowing your at-risk students, you can pay extra attention to them during reading instruction and quickly intervene when they struggle with a lesson. If your school has an RTI or other reading intervention program in place, you can refer at-risk students for additional intervention. The earlier a student receives an intervention, the higher the likelihood of reading success. Early reading intervention can prevent the emotional trauma that can come from prolonged struggle.

Here is a free, non-diagnostic dyslexia screener that you can use to screen your students.  READ MORE >>

Literacy – Spanning North America :: Maple Ridge BC :: Frederick MD :: Seattle WA

Literacy: Spanning North America

MRPMKLV

Provincial Funding Will Help New Ridge Meadows Adult Literacy Program Get Off The Ground

Maple Ridge News: 9.12.2019 by Colleen Flanagan

A new tutoring program aimed at adults needing to upgrade their literacy skills in the community will get a good start thanks to thousands of dollars in funding from the province.

The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Katzie Literacy Committee will be getting $24,000 in government funding per year for the next two years.

Janice Williams, the new Community Adult Literacy program coordinator, said a good chunk of that money will be used to put together the new Adult Literacy Tutoring Program in order to get it off the ground.

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Williams says that according to Statistics Canada’s International Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, more than 40 per cent of Canadian adults have low literacy. The survey was a large-scale co-operative effort undertaken in 2003, 2006 and 2008 by governments, national statistics agencies, research institutions and multi-lateral agencies that built on the International Adult Literacy Survey, the world’s first internationally comparative survey of adult skills undertaken in three rounds of data collection between 1994 and 1998.  READ MORE >>

@LCFC3

Literacy And Learning English Unlocks Opportunity

Frederick NewsPost: 9.12.2019

Ivan Díaz, 39, moved with his family from Venezuela to the United States six years ago. He says, “The U.S. is an amazing country! This is a real country for opportunity, for changing your life. I am an example of that.”

In the U.S., Díaz says, he is free to express his ideas and opinions. He was able to do so in English for an interview because of his Literacy Council volunteer tutor, Michael Cohen. When he came to the U.S., Díaz could read English but could not speak it intelligibly. He and Cohen have worked together for several years on Díaz’s English vocabulary and pronunciation. Their relationship goes beyond that of tutor and student; Cohen says, “He’s like my son.”

Díaz was a journalist and radio talk show host in his native city of Maracaibo, Venezuela; he had acted in national theater productions and a couple of movies. In Maryland, he had trouble finding work because in job interviews he couldn’t make himself understood. When he began waiting tables in a Mexican restaurant, his employers quickly recognized his talents and saw that he would make a great manager of their company – but his English had to improve. Asked what the Literacy Council has done for him, Díaz says, “I can be the manager of the restaurant because of the Literacy Council. Right now, I can speak to you because of the Literacy Council.”  READ MORE >>

@SPLBuzz

Incarcerated Parents Can Read Books To Their Kids Through New Library Program

Seattle PI: 9.12.2019 by Becca Savransky

Incarcerated parents are often just looking for ways to be positive influences in their children's lives, said Deborah Sandler and Lauren Mayer, two children's services librarians with The Seattle Public Library. Parents are looking to overcome many barriers they may face as their kids grow up while they're not there.

Sandler and Mayer are hoping to help incarcerated parents connect with their children through a new joint program, called "Read to Me!" between The Seattle Public Library, the King County Department of Public Defense and the King County Correctional Facility. The program, which started earlier this year, gives incarcerated parents the chance to create a video of themselves reading a book out loud to be sent to their children to watch and keep.

Parents can participate if they have kids ages 7 or younger. It's another opportunity to communicate with their children when they're not able to see them or talk to them in person. Mayer and Sandler said they hope the program serves as a reminder to children of how much their parents love and care about them.  READ MORE >>

  

‘Literacy sets everyone free’: A message To Prison Inmates Who Are Learning To Read via The Spinoff

@HowardLeagueNZ

‘Literacy sets everyone free’: A message To Prison Inmates Who Are Learning To Read

The Spinoff: 10.05.2017 by Sian Elias

Yesterday Rimutaka Prison celebrated graduates from the Howard League literacy programme, part of the league’s wider work equipping inmates with skills to help them while in prison and on their release. The keynote speaker was Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias; this is her speech.

Some of the earliest and happiest memories I have are of my mother reading to me. She read me fairy stories and legends and poetry and the magic has never left me.

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Learning as an adult take special effort and determination and courage. As adults, we don’t have the structure for learning around us. There are too many distractions. Too many of our friends don’t see the point. So let me concentrate on the point. Or rather, the two points I’d like to make about your achievements. The first is specific to literacy skills, the second a more general one.

The first point is that reading is essential to participation in any society, however small and closed; however big and open. So it matters in this place, as well as outside.

If you don’t have literacy skills, you live on the fringes. You need to rely on others to write on your behalf, even about matters that are private. You need to rely on others too to bring to your attention what you need to know. You get your knowledge through filters.  READ MORE >>

National Literacy & Library Events :: November 2019

National Literacy & Library Events :: November 2019

Literacy & Library Events & Conferences

Events-National & International Events

Events-International: Language Magazine

National Picture Book Month

Family Stories Month

National Family Literacy Month

National Novel Writing Month

Nov 01              Author's Day

Nov 01              National Family Literacy Day

Nov 01              Jump$tart National Educator Conf Wash DC

Nov 01              Read. Write. Act. Virtual Conference

Nov 03              International Games Week

Nov 04              Global Read Aloud Your Choice!

Nov 04              Families Learning Conference Louisville KY
Nov 04+           Children's Book Week  Read Now Read Forever

Nov 06              CAEL Council for Adult & Experiential Learning Conf Chicago IL

Nov 06              Intl Adult Literacy Learners and Tutors Conf Uganda

Nov 06              National Black Storytelling Festival and Conf Montgomery AL

Nov 07              Read For The Record - Thank You, Omu!

Nov 07              ALER Conference Corpus Christi TX

Nov 07              International Dyslexia Association Conf Portland OR

Nov 08              YallFest Charleston SC

Nov 11              National Literacy Summit Lake Buena Vista FL

Nov 12              National Celebration of Reading Wash DC

Nov 13              Getting In Touch With Literacy Biennial Seattle WA

Nov 13              Library Marketing and Communications Conf St Louis MO

Nov 13              National Summit on Adult Literacy Wash DC

Nov 14              American Association of School Librarians Conf Louisville KY

Nov 15              I Love To Write Day

Nov 18              American Education Week

Nov 18              Global Education Conference Cyber Space

Nov 18              World Nursery Rhyme Week UK

Nov 19              LERN Conference San Diego CA

Nov 20              NAEYC Conference Nashville TN​

Nov 21              National Council of Teachers of English Baltimore MD

Nov 22              ACTFL Convention Wash DC

Nov 23              Tellabration (Sat before Thanksgiving) Have the Talk of a Lifetime

Nov 28              The Great Listen 2019

State Library Associations :: Conferences

African American Book Events

Book Fairs by State Library of Congress

Children’s Book Council Kid Lit Events

College Children’s & Young Adult Literature Conferences Festivals

Everfest Book Festival Calendar

ILA :: Literacy Calendar Worldwide

Storytelling Events

US Book Festivals

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Detroit MI :: Orlando FL :: Solano Co CA :: Fort Wayne IN

Literacy: Spanning the US

@allsaintslitdet

All Saints Literacy Center: A place To Learn… A Place Yo Grow…

Tech Town Detroit: 9.11 .2019 by Mayte Penman, SWOT City Portfolio Manager

SWOT City alum All Saints Literacy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit located in southwest Detroit that is committed to helping adults reach their educational, social and career goals by improving their literacy skills right in the heart of Mexicantown. The center is a welcoming place for learners to improve their reading, writing, math and English skills. The program serves adult learners ages 18 and older and welcomes all levels whether the person is a beginner, intermediate or advanced learner.

Students are paired with trained volunteer tutors who are committed to their success and create a customized learning plan. Tutors meet one-on-one with their students, adapting the learning approach to meet the needs and goals of the student. This is all done at no cost!

During the course of working with the All Saints Literacy Center, TechTown provided a complete SWOT assessment that allowed us to better understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the organization.  We identified that volunteers were a large part of the organization’s success, so we helped them find additional volunteers though networking, social media and more intentional outreach.  READ MORE >>

@ALL4Literacy

Nonprofit Celebrates 50 Years Of Improving Literacy In Central Florida

WKMG News 6: 9.12.2019 by Paul Giorgio - Producer

One in 5 adults in Central Florida read at or below a fifth grade level. The Adult Literacy League is trying to change that.

Every week, up to 1,500 people take classes with the Orlando nonprofit.

Vince Scalise is one of 300 volunteer tutors who help teach basic reading and writing, conversational English and preparation for taking the GED test and the citizenship exam. 

Scalise was at the head of the classroom teaching English as a second language, the day we visited.

The retired salesman held the student's attention with humor. "I just try to put people at ease, make them relax, try to have some fun" Scalise said. "I think, if you have a little bit of fun, it's easier to remember things."

Executive Director Gina Berko-Solomon said volunteers such as Scalise, who do not have a background in teaching, keep the program going.

"Our volunteers are not teachers," Berko-Solomon said. "They're CPAs. They're moms. They're nurses. They're doctors. And they want to volunteer."

Berko-Solomon said she started as a volunteer in 1999. "As soon as I was in the building and was matched with a student, I was hooked," she said.  WATCH 03:21

@SolanoLibrary

County Board Applauds 25th Year Of Solano Adult Literacy Program

Daily Republic: 9.12.2019 by Todd R. Hansen

More than half of the Solano County adult population is considered to be “functionally” or “marginally” illiterate, according to information provided Tuesday to the Solano County Board of Supervisors.

“Approximately 60,000 or 20 percent of the adult residents of Solano County are considered functionally illiterate, lacking basic literacy skills, and an additional 32 percent of Solano adults are considered marginally illiterate, bringing the total of adults to (more than) 50 percent of our adult population who struggle with reading, writing and speaking, and need help building their skills to achieve their goals and participate fully in the benefits and opportunities in our community,” a resolution adopted by the board states.

The board recognized September as Adult Literacy Awareness Month and acknowledge the Solano County Library Literacy Services for 25 years of service to the Solano adult population.

Three awards were also presented. The Beth Shedden Reach Out and Read Award was given to the award’s namesake, Beth Shedden, and to Soroptimist International of Central Solano County for their support of the adult literacy program.

The Diane Robinson Lifelong Learner Award also went to the award’s namesake, Diane Robinson. She was a student in the program and has long been a volunteer who helps individuals transition into the program.

The Mary Undlin Volunteer Award was presented to Yolanda DeVore and Elaine Pulido, “for their dedicated service and support of literacy in Solano County.” They have tutored nearly 30 students.  READ MORE >>

@FWliteracy

The Smart Move: Boosting Literacy Benefits Whole Community

Journal Gazette: 9.12.2019 by Drew Dunlavy, Board President-The Literacy Alliance

As summer turns to fall, most families with school-age children begin back-to-school preparations: books, supplies, new schedules and more as the academic year gets underway. This annual tradition is usually associated with children who attend school to learn new subjects and master concepts that will prepare them for the future.

But not everyone fits this model. While Allen County is fortunate to have excellent academic options from preschool through college and beyond, there are 30,000 adults without a high school degree or basic English proficiency skills; only 4% are enrolled in a literacy program. These adults are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, impoverished or incarcerated, which can result in community challenges such as an increased crime rate and decreased employment, self-sufficiency and dignity.

Consider these statistics:

• One in nine adults in northeast Indiana does not have a high school diploma or equivalent.

• Adults without a high school diploma are twice as likely to live in poverty.

• Adults without a high school diploma earn 42% less than adults with a diploma.

• 12% of adults in Allen County live in poverty.

• 43% of those in poverty don't have a high school diploma.

• 75% of inmates in Indiana don't have a high school diploma.

• 70,000 residents of northeast Indiana don't have a high school diploma; they are among 500,000 such Indiana residents.

If you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones. Many thousands of adults in our community struggle to read and comprehend the basic English necessary to fill out a job application, fill out forms for their children's school or medical records, or follow basic instructions. Literacy is key to many issues facing our community. When you improve literacy, you affect many areas: employment, public safety, health care and our economy.

The Literacy Alliance works with adults to improve skills in a variety of ways: obtain a high school equivalency diploma, improve English-language efficiency, and obtain job-training and skills certification. When individuals succeed in these areas, area employers benefit by having more qualified applicants for their open jobs.  READ MORE >>

Teaching Keyboarding: More Than Just Typing via US Digital Literacy

#DigitalLiteracy

Teaching Keyboarding: More Than Just Typing

US Digital Literacy

While schools are moving from the computer lab environment to integrating computers into the classroom, many teachers do not consider teaching the art/science of keyboarding.

Teaching keyboarding is not fast and simple. Years ago many high school students took typing classes. Typically taught by a business education type teacher, students learned correct typing technique and posture while trying to increase speed and accuracy. Some passed with flying colors, some got by only to use the hunt and peck method.

While keyboarding skills are necessary, many children are learning to manipulate keyboards at an early age. First graders are still learning to put together words and sentences. In addition their fingers and fine motor skills haven’t developed for properly learning to move about the keyboard, so it really doesn’t make sense to try and teach them real keyboarding skills.

Yet unfortunately, students simply develop bad habits by the time they are developmentally ready to really learn and understand keyboarding. Keyboarding is an important psycho-motor skill that all students need to learn, but that fact is not being recognized. Years of research have been done on the correct way to teach keyboarding skills.

There is a reason for those aaa sss asa asdf drills. There is also a reason those high schoolers went to class on a daily schedule to learn typing. It simply doesn’t work when you only seem them once every five or six days in a rotation in an elementary setting. Certainly introducing children to the home row keys, showing them video clips of “typing” class and facilitating dialogue about the importance of proper keyboarding is a great start in the elementary classroom anywhere from 3rd-5th grade.

The sites listed on this page are great for helping introduce your students to the fundamentals of keyboarding at the elementary level and a great resource for center time if you have computers in your classroom.

Dance Mat Typing

Computer Circus

Mr. Kent’s Typing Test

Typing Bubbles

Nimble Fingers

Type Online

Computer Keyboarding Questions

One Hand Typing

READ MORE >>

National Literacy Trust & Penguin Random House Researching Link Between Games & Literacy via Games Industry Biz

@Literacy_Trust

National Literacy Trust and Penguin Random House Researching Link Between Games And Literacy

Games Industry Biz: 10.17.2019 by James Batchelor

A new study will explore the relationship between video games and literacy engagement among school children, thanks to a partnership between the two worlds.

Games trade body UKIE has teamed up with major book publisher Penguin Random House Children's and the National Literacy Trust, a charity dedicated to boosting these skills, for this research.

Core to the project will be a survey of secondary school children across the UK. The questions will be composed by the National Literacy Trust, drawing on advice from both games and book publishing industry figures.

The venture originates from the Trust's observation that a significant part of children's reading habits when interacting through screens centres around video games, whether it's text in the titles themselves or content around the hobby such as forum discussions.

The survey will be carried out over the next few months, and will looking into how kids' experience with video games relates to their reading and writing abilities. The results are expected to be presented in Spring 2020.  READ MORE >>

Introducing This Year’s Health Literacy Month Campaign :: Health Equity

In the Know

Introducing This Year’s Health Literacy Month Campaign

Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership: Oct 2019

The Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership is excited to launch this year’s campaign for Health Literacy Month! The theme for the campaign is health literacy and health equity.

Health equity is about removing unfair differences in health status or health resources between groups of people- whether they are divided based on education, age, race, language or socioeconomic status.

Health literacy and health equity are closely linked. In fact, you can think of health literacy as the foundation to achieve health equity.

Most people are impacted by limited health literacy. But, populations most likely to experience low health literacy are also most likely to experience health disparities. This year’s campaign is about connecting these dots and providing you with helpful statistics and resources to help you achieve your health equity goals. We encourage you to check out our campaign materials here.  READ MORE >>

Literacy Reports & Statistics

Health

Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults, US Dept of Health & Human Services

2019: Health Literacy in the 50 States, Health IQ (an Insurance Co.)

2018: How Health Literacy Got Started, Helen Osborne

2017: Hidden Cost of Healthcare System Complexity, Accenture

2015: Health Literacy & Patient Engagement, 12th Annual Report, US HHS Sep 2015

2011: Health Literacy Interventions Outcomes: Updated Systematic Rvw, AHRQ

2010: Health Literacy, NNLM

2010: Health Literacy: Accurate Accessible Actionable Health Info. for All, CDC

2009: Reaching America’s Health Potential Among Adults, RWJ Foundation

2009: Low Health Literacy, NAAL 2003

2004: Literacy and Health in America, ETS

Literacy – Spanning the US :: St. Lucie Co FL :: Lee Co AL :: Los Angeles CA

Literacy: Spanning the US

@LearntoReadSLC

Literacy Program Receives Dollar General Grant

All Things Treasure Coast: 9.10.2019

Learn to Read of St. Lucie County was recently awarded a $10,000 Dollar General Foundation Grant to help purchase and Implement CASAS (Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System). According to Learn to Read St. Lucie County Executive Director Matt Anderson, “CASAS is the most widely used competency-based assessment system in the United States designed to assess the relevant real-world basic skills of adult learners. CASAS measures the basic skills and the English language and literacy skills needed to function effectively at work and in life. Use of the CASAS skill level descriptors and assessment for ABE (Intermediate Basic Skills) and ELL (High Intermediate Level) in all five skills areas (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing, Interactions) to establish learning program objectives for all learners.”

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Learn to Read St. Lucie County was created in 1981, when Dorothy Brennan read a newspaper story about a child who nearly died of an overdose because his mother couldn’t read the instructions on a medication bottle. Brennan couldn’t bear the thought of this tragedy happening to one more family, so the Fort Pierce woman created Learn to Read St. Lucie County, a nonprofit organization which would provide free literacy services. Nearly thirty years and thousands of students later, Learn to Read St. Lucie County honored Brennan by dedicating its new facility as the Dorothy Brennan Learning Center.  READ MORE >>

@LeeCoLit

Lee County Literacy Coalition Growing, Pursuing New Technology While Commemorating ‘National Literacy Month’

Opelika Observer: 9.11.2019 by Kelly Daniel

The Lee County Literacy Coalition (LCLC), which provides free basic education to adults, is growing and evolving to meet the changing needs of growing Lee County communities.

To recognize National Literacy Month, which takes place in September, the LCLC is asking adults to read aloud their favorite children’s book on video and to share their video. In a Facebook post, the LCLC said, “With your help, we hope to demonstrate the joy of reading and engage a community of new learners. Submissions will be posted on social media throughout the month of September.   READ MORE >>

@LAPublicLibrary

Spotlight on Literacy: A Dream Come True

LAPL Blog: 7.31.2019 by Luisa Latham, Adult Literacy Tutor

Randall Hinson, Librarian, Office of Education and Literacy

Last July, three students began a journey toward literacy via Leamos, a computer-based literacy program, at the Pacoima Branch Library. Leamos teaches Spanish speaking adults, who may not have had the opportunity for formative education, to begin working toward competency in reading and writing in their native language. It also equips them with basic computer skills. It can serve as a pre-ESL(English as a Second Language) course as well.

Nine months after beginning their study, two dedicated and hardworking students have stayed the course and continued their journey toward literacy. Ana Teresa Batrez and Silvia Barahona Garcia come to the library each Monday for two hours to reinforce and extend their reading and writing skills. To date, they have succeeded in reading a wide variety of texts including children’s books, newspaper headlines, employment applications, food and prescription labels, crossword puzzle clues, horoscopes, riddles and the reflections of previous students who completed Leamos.  READ MORE >>