Literacy – Spanning the US :: Jacksonville FL :: Kinston NC :: Riverside CA :: Philadelphia PA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@LiteracyAllNEFL

Free Digital Literacy Classes Offered To Help Jacksonville Adults
Florida Times-Union: 1.05.2021 by Teresa Stepzinski

Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida Inc. will offer a series of shops in January to help residents learn and hone basic, but essential computer skills. All will cover computer and internet basics.

In addition, the alliance will have an online curriculum covering more in-depth topics focused on computer software and internet usage. Those sessions will allow individuals to work at their own pace at whenever time that they want.

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"This is all part of our effort out of seeing the impact of COVID and realizing how much, a lot of adult learners are struggling with transitioning to and living in an online and virtual environment," said Marcus W. Haile, the organization's executive director.

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Established in 1969 as Learn to Read Jacksonville, the Literacy Alliance of Northeast Florida provides free literacy instruction to adults seeking to improve their reading, writing, and math skills.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

 

@neuselibrary

Beyond the Books
Kinston.com: 1.12.2021 by Amber Hargett, Neuse Regional Library

Fresh from ringing in the new year, it is time to get back into familiar routines.  For most, that means going back to work or back to school, which continues to look a little different thanks to COVID-19.  In 2020, we began our Homework Help program through the Literacy without Barriers program, supported by federal funds awarded and administered by the State Library of North Carolina. Unfortunately, due to the current severity of COVID-19 we have had to briefly pause in-person homework help, but we are continuing to support the learners of our community through Family Literacy Kits, another component of the Literacy Without Barriers Program.

These kits are being released as a four part series, with the second Family Literacy Kit being released in January.  Participants receive a book they can keep to add to their home library along with an activity sheet and supplies to complete the project.  Books and activity sheets are provided in both English and Spanish.  The featured titles for the month of January are Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard, and The Feelings Book / El Libro de los Sentimientos by Todd Parr.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

 

@RivCntyLib

Riverside County Library Literacy Services Support Adult Learning From Home
Valley News: 1.08.2020 

Approximately 32% of Riverside County residents’ ability to understand print material is considered “at-risk” according to a study by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. Literacy skills increase the ability to read with their children, pass a driver’s test and apply for jobs online. Riverside County Library System Literary Services offers programs and services to close the gap and positively impact these daily activities. RCLS addresses the adult literacy gap with free community classes and one-on-one tutoring available to all Riverside County residents. Due to the pandemic, literacy services and programs are now offered online using video conferencing. Chromebooks and tablets are also available for checkout by enrolled adult learners.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

@FreeLibrary

How Did The Free Library’s Cooking School Go Virtual? By Reading Up On Social Media & Zoom
Philadelphia Inquirer: 1.12.2021 by Jenn Ladd

 How do you teach knife skills over the internet? How do you lead a cooking class without providing the ingredients, or the tools, to make the recipe? And how do you cultivate a sense of community via a computer screen?

Those were the challenges presented to the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center, a cooking school/learning hub established at the Parkway Central Library in 2014. It’s guided by the idea that not everyone learns best by reading or listening to lectures. “There are all different ways to learn,” says CLC library supervisor Caity Rietzen. “You can learn through a book, or by a fork and a spoon.”

When the pandemic forced the CLC’s extensive programming — 30-plus events per month for adults and students alike — online, Rietzen did what any librarian would do: She brushed up on her digital skills by diving into library resources like Lynda.com, taking Zoom classes on Zoom itself, and learning more about best practices on social media.

“It really was a real fast learning experience,” she says.

Today, Rietzen is a pro. Since May, the library has hosted more than 60 virtual events, including chef-led cook-alongs covering everything from homemade hot chocolate and marshmallows to Syrian cuisine and summer galettes. In some ways the transition to digital programming has even expanded the library’s reach, allowing learners to log in from near and far — sometimes with long-distance company.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

Why Public Libraries Matter: It’s Time for America To Stop Starving Libraries Of Funding ▬ The Nation

Why Public Libraries Matter
It’s time for America to stop starving its libraries of funding.

ONE BOOK,
ONE CONGRESS

The Nation: 6.04.2015 by Katrina vanden Heuvel

There are more public libraries in America—some 9,000 central buildings and 7,500 branch locations—than McDonald’s restaurants, making them one of the most ubiquitous institutions in the nation. Far from serving as obsolescent repositories for dead wood, libraries are integral, yet threatened, parts of the American social fabric. Libraries, after all, are truly democratic spaces where all are welcome and where everything inside is available to everyone. Few American institutions strive for “equity of access,” a core principle of the American Library Association, and even fewer pay more than lip service to the idea that services like the Internet are necessary aspects of life that simply must be made available to all members of society. But despite their impact and import—much of it hidden from people of means who can independently (and often expensively) secure for themselves those services provided by the library—America is starving its libraries, cutting off millions of people from the stream of information that, like oxygen, powers the development and basic functions of society.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 14

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old

(college level)

Boosting Digital Literacy in the Workplace ▬ National Skills Coalition

Boosting Digital Literacy in the Workplace

Boosting Digital Literacy

National Skills Coalition: 12.15.2020 by Amanda Bergson-Shilcock

When it comes to digital literacy, how do we know what kind of skills America’s workers need for the workplace, how they can best acquire them, and what competencies or credentials can help them signal their preparedness to employers?

Over the past four months, National Skills Coalition staff interviewed business, education, and workforce leaders across the United States to understand how these issues are playing out on the ground. Made possible with support from the Cognizant U.S. Foundation, Boosting Digital Literacy in the Workplace: How rapid prototyping is helping businesses to upskill workers and what policymakers can do to help, provides an actionable summary of their responses.

Among the new findings:

➤ A broad base of digital skills is a highly valued asset to business leaders

➤ Small businesses face greater challenges in addressing digital literacy gaps compared to their larger counterparts

➤ Dedicated public investments and integrated training models are crucial to the effectiveness of digital upskilling programs

➤ Investments in industry sector partnerships can help local businesses meet the demand for digital skills

➤ Lack of access to broadband internet and digital devices makes training difficult and sometimes impossible for workers and small businesses 

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 19

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

How Learning To Read At 54 Transformed My Life ▬ BBC

Lockdown Win: How Learning To Read At 54 Transformed My Life

@ReadEasyUK

BBC: 1.24.2021

Tim Davies was one of millions of adults in England who struggled to read and write. For a long time he tried to hide this fact, but a brush with cancer caused him to re-evaluate his life and not even lockdown could stop his progress.

Previously shopping or dealing with bills was a daunting task, he said.

Now Tim, 54, is learning to drive and hopes to start his own business as a tree surgeon.

"It's changed my life," he said.

About seven million adults in England have very poor literacy skills, the Literacy Trust charity estimates.

Tim said his problems began as a nine-year-old when he was left at a boys' home.

"From that point I thought nobody cared about me so why should I care?

"So I never concentrated at school."

Tim, who lives in Bristol, said he managed to cope with life by hiding his skills gap and took a job as a tree surgeon and landscape gardener because it did not require him to read.

"I was scared to tell people. I kept it quiet."

If you know someone who needs help

John Corcoran set up a foundation in his name to help adults and children with literacy skills - in California and online

In the UK, the National Literacy Trust website lists organisations that promote adult literacy

These include Read Easy and the Reading Agency

READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Norwalk CT :: Susanville CA :: LaFayette NY

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@NorwalkLibCT

Election Day With New Voters Baolin Ma & Renjiang Zhu
Patch: 12.31.2020 by William Hope

Voting is a civic duty for most people, not a life-changing event. The 2020 presidential election was a monumental event for Baolin Ma and Renjiang Zhu, grandparents who voted for the first time in their lives. The couple, born and married in China, now live in Wilton and are students of the Greater Norwalk Literacy Volunteers (GNLV) program at Norwalk Public Library.

Ma and Zhu are retired school teachers, who came to the U.S. in 2007 to be with their son and grandchildren in California. They moved to Wilton in 2015 to be near their daughter and her family, but something was missing. They felt like strangers in their adopted country. The problem was language. The problem was language. Though they were citizens and had studied some English in California, they did not feel like Americans. Ma and Zhu felt like outsiders because they spoke so little English. They had family, a church home, and some Chinese friends, but that was it. Everything else was closed off.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 7

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old

(Sixth and Seventh graders)

Lassen Library

Lassen Library Offers Family, Adult Literacy Programs
Lassen News: 1.03.2021

The New Year is always a good time to start taking advantage of what local organizations have to offer — especially the services offered by the local Lassen Library.

Whether it’s your goal to read more, to sign up your little ones for the Family Literacy Program or to study for your GED, the local library has much to offer.

The Family Literacy Program is a free monthly family program geared towards helping with early childhood literacy development. These monthly Saturday programs support families with children ages 0 to 5 years old and encourage and support their early reading development. During these Saturday programs children are able to participate in fun hands-on activities as well as listen to read aloud stories

According to Kelly Kreiensieck, Adult Literacy Program Coordinator, with current COVID limitations the program is a little different, but each month participating families are able to pick up a themed bag usually on the second Saturday of the month with three to four books, crafts and activities to take home.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 14

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old

(college level)

 

@ProLiteracy

Why a Dairy Company Invested in English Language Learning Software
ProLiteracy Blog: 1.05.2021 by Laura McLoughlin

@byrnedairy

At Byrne Dairy’s Syracuse Cold Storage facility, in Syracuse, New York, managers were having a difficult time effectively communicating with non-English speaking employees. While the company provides important information and trainings in both English and Spanish, it wanted to give its employees the opportunity to overcome these language barriers to do more.

From New Readers Press, the company purchased Learning Upgrade licenses so Spanish-speaking employees can increase their English skills.

Each shift, these employees are given time to use company computers to work in the Learning Upgrade program. “They take advantage of it, and they are doing a great job,” said Syracuse Cold Storage Supervisor Jim Begay. 

Based on what employees had to say, they’re taking advantage of it because they are seeing where learning English can take them. 

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These are exactly the outcomes Byrne Dairy was hoping for. Investing in its employees has not just improved employee/supervisor communication, but the higher English skills among employees creates a more efficient workplace and gives the company an opportunity to shape its team to grow from within.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 13

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 18-19 yrs. old

(college level entry)

Health Literacy: What It Is and Why It Matters ▬ COVID-19 ▬ MedTruth

Health Literacy: What It Is and Why It Matter

Health Literacy

MedTruth: 10.01.2020 by Sarah Digiulio

A lot of factors contribute to our risks for certain illnesses and chronic conditions, and how well we manage if and when we do get sick. Our ability to access and understand health information, also known as “health literacy,” is one of these important factors.

Unfortunately, nearly 36% of U.S. adults have low health literacy. The good news is that while many risk factors for disease, such as genetics, are beyond our individual control, our level of health literacy is something that we can always improve.

According to the National Library of Medicine, health literacy is “The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.”

Health literacy is affected by individual characteristics such as age, education level and communication skills, but it also depends upon how clearly health information is delivered — whether that information is spoken, written or visual, Rima Rudd, senior lecturer on health literacy, education, and policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health, told MedTruth.

There are some problems with the way information is being communicated about COVID-19, Rudd said. For instance, complex charts and graphs are popping up in the media and from health groups without explanation of what they mean, and terms like ‘flatten the curve’ are not ones the average adult has come across before.   READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

 

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Detroit MI :: Oceanside CA :: North SC :: Bradenton FL

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@ReadingWorks

Detroit's Literacy Providers Must Complete Reading Works' Mission
Freep: 12.28.2020 by *Paul Anger

Reading Works was born of a heartfelt commitment to Detroit. We toiled for a decade – with dedicated partners — to help extend the city’s renaissance to its workforce, its neighborhoods and its schools

From our earliest days, we described ourselves as “dedicated to improving adult literacy in metro Detroit, and promoting the idea that reading works — in the home and in the workplace.”

The strategy: Raise literacy and education levels of more adults so they could land good-paying jobs and create a family environment to help children thrive in school.

Reading Works became a backbone of community-wide efforts, and much progress was made. In early 2020, in fact, it was accelerating — until the pandemic.

But as 2021 dawns, the effort to promote literacy in the city efforts will have to carry on without Reading Works.

Like many organizations, we’ve fallen victim to the pandemic and the painful interruption of both funding and important work that needed doing.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

 *Paul Anger was editor of the Free Press editor from 2005 to 2009 and editor and publisher from 2009-15. He served as Reading Works chair from 2011 to 2015.

sou

@OsideLibrary

Literacy Program In Oceanside Helping Adult Learners Fulfill Lifelong Dreams
10 News: 12.28.2020 by Virginia Cha

It can be easy to take the ability to read for granted, but there's nothing easy about admitting you can't read, especially for adults. Just ask Gary Swimpson.

"I have a 7-year-old grandson that can read better than me," he says, "it hurts. I'm 61 years old, I'm supposed to be reading to him, but I can't let that get me down. I have to keep pushing forward."

Pushing forward is Gary's mantra. He exudes positivity, but it wasn't always that way.

"As far as my background, where I come from, 'the hood' and all that, you know I made a lot of bad choices coming up and so I'm trying to do the right thing in life for the first time in my life."

He says the hardest part of his journey has been having the strength to continue pushing himself to do it.

"When you never read growing up and now you're in your fifties or sixties and you try it, it's a challenge."

When Gary moved from Los Angeles to Oceanside, he decided it was time for a fresh start, beginning about a year and a half ago with the Oceanside READS Learning Center.

Chelsea Genack Eggli, the literacy coordinator for Oceanside Public Library, said, "It takes a lot of courage and it takes a lot of strength to go back to school when somebody is older in life," she says.  WATCH 02:30

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 7

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old

(Sixth and Seventh graders)

 

North Challenge Center Closes; Volunteers Offered Adults Chance To Learn
The T and D: 12.29.2020 by Martha Rose Brown

Over the course of nearly three decades, North Challenge Center volunteers have helped approximately 1,200 families.

The center has helped adults learn to read and write, earn their GEDs and accomplish other goals.

Now the center has lost its funding due to the pandemic and is about to close.

Sandy Sigmon and her husband George, both Navy veterans, co-founded the center in 1993. She’d plan to retire in the upcoming year.

Over the years as the center’s director, her most special moments have come “when someone’s learned to read and they realize it.”  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

  

@GoodwillFL

Goodwill Offers Virtual ESOL Classes For Its Manatee County Employees
Herald Tribune: 12.31.2020

Goodwill Manasota is offering virtual ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes each week for team members whose primary language is not English.

@Manatee_Reads

The Manatee County virtual ESOL classes started on Dec. 7. Participants gather at the Goodwill Cortez, Ranch Lake and Corporate Campus locations. The free classes, which are taught by instructors from the Manatee Literacy Council, are provided while employees are on the clock.

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Michelle Desveaux McLean, executive director of the Literacy Council, says that 20% of adults living in Manatee County are at or below the lowest literacy level, according to the Program for the International Assessment of AdultCompetencies.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 12

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 17-18 yrs. old

(Twelfth graders)

Apps for Older Struggling Readers and Writers ▬ Literacy Nest

Apps for Older Struggling Readers and Writers

Reading & Writing
APPS

Literacy Nest: Mar 2020

Do you have an older, struggling reader or writer? Here are some useful APPS for older struggling readers and writers.

As your students become older and the demands on them in the classroom increase.  The role of technology moves from a tool for practice and skill reinforcement, to that of assistive technology. Assistive technology is a tool to assist your students in completing grade-level expectations and allowing them to share their knowledge without being hindered by their reading and writing challenges. Assistive technology can take many forms, but the primary goal is to create a level playing field for those with language-based reading disabilities. Fortunately, today’s digital natives are fast learners when it comes to technology.

While assistive technology can help your students show their knowledge, it is not a substitute for explicit instruction by a highly trained professional. Students still need to be explicitly taught about spelling, morphology and phonics.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 11

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 15-17 yrs. old

(Tenth to Eleventh graders)

Dollar General Literacy Foundation ▬ Applications for Adult Literacy Grants Deadline ▬ February 18, 2021

Dollar General Literacy Foundation

Invites Applications for Adult Literacy Programs

Deadline: February 18, 2021

Philanthropy News Digest: 1.21.2021

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation was established in 1993 in honor of Dollar General's co-founder, J.L. Turner, who was functionally illiterate and had dropped out of school after third grade when his father was killed in an accident.

The foundation currently is welcoming applications for its Adult Literacy Grants program. Through the program, grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to organizations providing direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance in one of the following areas: adult basic education; GED or high school equivalency preparation; and English language acquisition.

To be eligible, applicants must be a nonprofit organization as determined by the IRS or a public library, school, or college providing direct literacy services in a state in which Dollar General operates, and be within located fifteen miles of a Dollar General store.

CLICK HERE to apply for a 2021 Adult Literacy grant.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Grants

Deadline: Feb 18

Dollar General awards funding to:
➧ A qualified 501(c)(3) organization with a valid IRS tax ID
➧ A K-12 Private or Public School
➧ A College or University
➧ A Public Library

that provide direct services to adults in need of literacy assistance in one of the following areas:

➧ Adult Basic Education
➧ GED or High School Equivalency Preparation
➧ English Language Acquisition

Deadline to apply: February 18, 2021 (by 10 pm CST)

Grant announcement: May 13, 2021

Maximum grant amount: $10,000

READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 15

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate