Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Literacy ▬ Spanning the US :: Madison WI :: Stevens Point WI :: Dayton OH

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@LitNet

Former Student Alejandra Muñoz Contreras Promoted To Student Services Manager At Literacy Network
Madison 365: 4.23.2021 by Mackenzie Krumme

Alejandra Muñoz Contreras started at the Literacy Network when it was just a small building on Park Street on Madison’s south side.

Today, she, along with the organization, has grown into a new role and position. In April, she was promoted to the student services manager where she is a resource and a guide for the 1,000 adults that use the center each year. The building where she is now is still on Park Street, but is two stories high, with 10 classrooms, a large lobby and a library.

Muñoz Contreras started at the network in 2015 while she was applying for citizenship. She said it is a rigorous process that involves many tests including reading, writing, pronunciation and filling out legal documents like a 128-question questionnaire.

Muñoz Contreras came to the U.S from Mexico 16 years ago. She has lived in Colorado, and Tennessee before making her way to Wisconsin. It was a goal of hers when she came to Wisconsin in 2013 to become a citizen; and now she gets to help others obtain those same goals.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 8
Reading Level: standard / average.
Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. old
(Seventh and Eighth graders)

 

Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc: Teaching Adults To Read And Changing Their Worlds – One Person At A Time
Wis Business: 4.23.2021

Have you ever thought about how hard it would be to live your everyday life if you didn’t know how to read, write or speak English?

Literacy affects every aspect of life and directly impacts our ability to work, care for our families by providing food and shelter, secure safe transportation, and even understand health care information, including health insurance coverage.

The Portage County Literacy Council (PCLC) in Stevens Point works with adults who want to improve their reading, writing and/or math skills. They offer one-on-one tutoring and small group sessions free of charge to people with all kinds of socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds throughout Portage County – including immigrants and refugees learning English, and native speakers with a learning difference, lack of education, or any other reason.

Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc., along with Marshfield Clinic Health System, recently donated funds to PCLC, most of which will go directly toward the costs of running their adults tutoring programs.

“We are very thankful for our community partners, like Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan, whose generous donation will go directly towards supporting PCLC programs and services. We could not do this work without them!” said Shannon O’Donnell, Co-Director of the PCLC.

PCLC helps adult learners increase their ability to read and understand materials that can have a huge impact on their family’s health and wellness. A person’s ability to read and write in English in order to understand health care information is directly linked to their health outcomes and costs. ProLiteracy, the largest adult literacy and basic education membership organization in the nation, reports that over $230 billion in health care costs each year are linked to low adult literacy.  READ MORE ➤➤

 
Based on 7 readability formulas:
Grade Level: 14
Reading Level: difficult to read.
Reader's Age: 21-22 yrs. old
(college level)

 

@BrunnerLiteracy

1 In 5 Adults In Montgomery County Are Illiterate, This Crisis Has Far-Reaching Effects
Dayton 247 Now: 4.24.2021 by Allison Walker

The United States started the first public education system in the world but still, we're faced with a shocking crisis, 43 million, adults in the U.S. can’t read. That's 21 percent of our nation's adult population. It's a problem non-profit leaders say has hit our community hard here in Montgomery County. The Brunner literacy center told me that 1 in 5 adults in the Greater Dayton area are at or below a level 1 literacy level.

“If you're at level 1 you can identify street signs you may be able to sight-read some basic words but you can't fill out a job application. You can't do a quick google search and get an answer, you can't read a prescription label so all of these typical things we might take for granted in life,” Ashley Lackovich, the executive director of the Brunner Literacy Center said.

Lackovich explained that this issue is underreported as many adults develop sophisticated coping skills, so no one finds out they can't read or write. Still the numbers are staggering-at their center-they teach around 350 people to read every year.

“If kids have parents who are illiterate with low levels of literacy no matter what we're doing at the school, those kids are still statistically more likely to have low levels of literacy themselves. 43 percent of people with low literacy live in poverty and we also know it's intergenerational,” Lackovich stated.

Lackovich added that this basic skill is the root of so many other problems. She shared data that shows illiteracy rates are costing our healthcare system hundreds of billions of dollars every year since adults with limited literacy use emergency services at significantly higher rates. Yet-federal funding for adult literacy programs have been cut 18 % in the last two decades.  WATCH 03:02

 
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)


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