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. 

🔽
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)

Contact Congress to Save IMLS ▬ EveryLibrary

Contact Congress to Save IMLS

President Trump's 2021 budget ends federal funding for libraries and museums. We can't let that stand. Please take a moment and help us fight back by signing this petition

Action EveryLibrary: 12.02.2020

President Trump’s FY2021 Budget is targeting the only federal library programs for complete elimination.

#FundLibraries

#Libraries2020

Again.

This is the fourth year that our president has called for the total shutdown of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is the fourth year that reasonable and right-minded library advocates have to rally against his proposed cuts.

Join us and thousands of other Americans and tell Congress “NO” to this bad budget proposal. Send your message today to ensure that the House and Senate do their jobs and fund libraries, museums, and archives.

IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. IMLS provides grants to libraries in need to replace technology and infrastructure. Many rural and urban communities depend on these grants to continue operations and provide essential community services. In small towns and big cities, museums are vital to sharing the arts, extending our cultural memory, and connecting us with people we’d never otherwise have met. IMLS is a primary source of federal grant funding to extend state and local resources in order to educate students, preserve and digitize collections, and connect families with their communities.

═════════►

Every state library puts IMLS funding to work in critically important ways that are high-impact for their states. Public libraries often provide the only broadband access to rural communities and many Americans in all areas often rely on this access to apply to jobs, access training, and to learn new skills. Many entrepreneurs use the resources found in the library to get a competitive edge in an increasingly global marketplace. IMLS funding supports school readiness programs, provides resources and materials to educators, helps libraries develop resources for underserved and at-risk populations and funds pilot projects that enable libraries to address the needs of their communities in creative ways.

This is the fourth time the president's budget has proposed cuts to the IMLS. In 2019, Americans from all political spectrums rallied against the proposed cuts. Over the last three years, EveryLibrary's SaveIMLS.org campaign has helped empower over 20,000 Americans to send a message to Congress to reverse those cuts and expand support for the IMLS. This national voter engagement campaign has educated Americans about the role and impact of libraries and librarians, to secure better funding for school and public libraries from all levels of government.

Send an Email to Support IMLS

Please take just a few seconds to encourage our representatives to preserve the only federal funding programs for libraries and museums

Find your local rep

Please Support Funding for IMLS

As your constituent and a voter, I am writing to ask you to preserve federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Cutting this funding means that countless libraries will lose access to the grants that allow them to replace crumbling technology and infrastructure that many rural and urban communities depend on. Libraries often provide the only broadband access to rural communities and many Americans in all areas often rely on libraries to apply to jobs, access training to learn new skills, and many entrepreneurs use the resources found in the library to get a competitive edge in an increasingly global marketplace. In fact, for every dollar spent on libraries, more than $5 are returned to the community.

Libraries are also one of the most used and loved government infrastructures in the  United States. In fact, more people visit their library than attend the NFL, NHL, NBA, NASCAR, or the movie theater COMBINED and voters overwhelmingly support library funding. Cutting this funding would critically wound millions of Americans' ability to get ahead in life.

Thank you.

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)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: North Charleston SC :: Los Angeles CA :: Livermore CA :: Savannah GA

Literacy In The News :: Spanning the US

@TridentLit

Local Organization Confronts COVID Challenges In Adult Education Programs
Live 5 News: 10.24.2020 by Paola Tristan Arruda

One Lowcountry organization is aiming to help adults get the skills they need to join the workforce, while also battling challenges presented by the pandemic.

Trident Literacy Association says there are more than 60,000 adults in the tri-county area that don’t have a high school credential. The group works with adults 17 and older to help improve their skills and get their GED.

They also work with immigrants who are learning English as a second language.

All the organization’s sites have been physically closed since March, so they have had to switch to a virtual method of teaching. The executive director, Eileen Chepenik, said they are close to being at capacity since they have had to take in fewer students.

“We have implemented a case management approach, so that we can work with students not only on their academic skills, but other issues in their lives that are so stressful right now,” Chepenik said. “We have about 60 or so volunteer tutors who are now working with our students mostly one on one by telephone, by email, and having students drive by to pick up material.”

Not only are class sizes smaller and more intimate, but class hours have also switched to accommodate students' schedules.  WATCH 02:28

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)

 

@LAPublicLibrary

Ballot Measures Discussion with the League of Women Voters
LA Public Library: 10.14.2020

Mona Field, Co-President of the Los Angeles League of Women Voters, helps us understand the 12 statewide measures, and some local measures, on the November 3, 2020 ballot.

Mona Field is a notable expert in state and local politics. In addition to her role with the League, she is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Glendale Community College and the author of California Government and Politics Today (15th Edition).

The discussion will focus on the pros and cons of the following:

➧ Property taxes
➧ Rent control
➧ Parolee voting sentence changes
➧ Approving or rejecting cash bail
➧ Funding for stem cell research                                  
➧ Reinstituting affirmative action
➧ Voting rights for some 17-year-olds
➧ Governing kidney dialysis clinics
➧ Special workplace rules for app-based companies like Uber and Lyft
➧ New consumer privacy rules

This event is being organized through Teens Leading Change at the Eagle Rock Branch Library.  WATCH 1:09:02

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 17

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

 

@LivLibrary

Livermore Library Honors Volunteers Of The Year
Pleasanton Weekly: 10.29.2020 by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

The Livermore Library recently recognized several outstanding volunteers who have provided exceptional service to the community.

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Ed Folsom has been chosen as the Livermore Public Library's 2020 Volunteer of the Year in Support of Literacy. He has volunteered at the Rincon Branch Library with the Homework Help Center since 2010, guiding and assisting students of all ages and grade levels, motivating them with his enthusiastic and encouraging approach.

In more recent years Folsom has also volunteered with the library's adult literacy program. When working with a child or an adult, Folsom is known for understanding that learning can be hard work, especially for those with other things going on in their lives that increase the challenge.  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)

 

@RoyceLearning

Adult Education In Savannah Helps Learners Achieve Life Goals
Savannah Morning News: 10.16.2020 by Anne Hart

You’re never too old to learn more and change your life.

Stephaine Scott, 54, of Savannah is putting that advice into practice during this pandemic.

After being hospitalized with COVID-19 at Candler Hospital in June, Scott learned while quarantining and recuperating about a program that could help her do what she dreamed of...Obtain her GED.

Now Scott is enrolled in Royce Learning Center’s Adult and Community Education (ACE) classes and working toward that GED.

Then she aims to go to college and become a psychologist.

The ACE program provides an individualized learning environment for adult learners of various abilities, from enhancing literacy to preparation for GED or college. Each class is led by a certified teacher who pairs each learner with a skilled volunteer.

The ACE program classes are currently virtual due to the pandemic. The program is free. It’s $25 enrollment fee is waived because classes are virtual.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old

(Eighth and Ninth graders)

2020 Ballot Measure Readability Scores ▬ Average Grade Level ▬ 17

Ballot Measure Readability Scores, 2020

CA Easy Voter Guide
Grade Level: 7

BallotPedia: 2020

This page provides an analysis of the readability scores of the language voters see on the ballot when deciding their 2020 statewide measures. The ballot language consists of a ballot title or question and sometimes an additional summary or explanation.

A readability score is an estimation of the reading difficulty of a text. Measurements used in calculating readability scores include the number of syllables, words, and sentences in a text. Other factors, such as the complexity of an idea in a text, are not reflected in readability scores.

Voters in 32 states decided 120 statewide ballot measures on November 3, 2020. Including pre-November election dates, a total of 128 statewide ballot measures were certified for the 2020 ballot in 34 states.

Voters in states with ballot measures read questions on their ballots asking them whether to approve or reject a measure. As the text of ballot measures is often multiple pages of statute or constitutional law, someone is tasked in each state with writing a shorter title or question and sometimes an additional summary to appear on the ballot for the measures.

Readability index details

Ballotpedia uses two formulas, the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), to compute scores for the titles and summaries of ballot measures.

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HIGHLIGHTS

  The average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for the ballot titles (ballot questions) of all 128 statewide 2020 ballot measures was 17 (first-year graduate school reading level).

  The average ballot title grade for all measures in a single state averaged together ranged from 10 in Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming to 32 in Virginia.

  In 2018, the average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for the ballot titles of statewide ballot measures was between 19 and 20, and average state scores ranged from eight to 42.

  Ballotpedia identified 67 measures with a ballot summary that was set to appear alongside the ballot question on the ballot. The average Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level for the ballot summaries was about 14.

  The average ballot summary grade for all measures in a single state averaged together ranged from 10 in Louisiana and Maryland to 20 in Arkansas.

  The average ballot title grade was highest for ballot titles written by state legislatures (19) and other state boards and offices (18).

  Initiative proponents wrote the ballot language for eight of the measures (in some cases, with help from state officials). The average ballot title grade for those measures was 15.

  Attorneys general wrote titles with the lowest average grade level of 14.

  The average ballot title in 2020 contained about 60 words. In 2018, the average ballot title length was 66 words.

  The 2020 ballot measure with the longest ballot title was Colorado Proposition 118 concerning a paid family and medical leave program. The ballot question had 270 words.

  The states with the shortest ballot titles or questions on average were Florida, California, Iowa, and Alaska; all of these except Iowa did feature additional ballot summaries or explanations.

Analysis by state
Title and summary grades

State	Average title grade	Average # of words	Number of measures
Rhode Island	10	52	1
Washington	10	42	6
Wyoming	10	36	1
Iowa	11	16	1
Louisiana	11	39	7
Massachusetts	11	26	2
Illinois	12	121	1
New Jersey	12	91	3
Missouri	13	84	3
Nebraska	13	55	6
Oregon	13	93	4
Utah	13	51	7
Wisconsin	13	70	1
Alaska	14	22	2
Maryland	14	65	2
Mississippi	14	41	3
Montana	14	109	5
North Dakota	14	166	2
California	15	16	13
Florida	16	10	6
Oklahoma	16	140	3
Arizona	17	43	2
South Dakota	17	28	3
Alabama	21	83	7
Kentucky	21	45	2
Maine	21	39	3
Michigan	21	36	2
Nevada	21	72	5
New Mexico	21	83	5
Arkansas	22	36	3
Georgia	26	53	3
Idaho	26	53	1
Colorado	30	101	11
Virginia	32	68	2

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)