LITERACY EDUCATION Janet L. Gooch, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

WHAT IS LITERACY?  Literacy is defined as "using printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.“ (IES, 2007).  A fully literate person is one who can read, write, do math, and use a computer (Literacy Partners, 2006)

U.S. JUVENILE LITERACY STATISTICS  If a child does not read proficiently in the 4 th grade, he/she has approximately a 78% chance of never catching up  2/3 of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of the 4 th grade will end up in jail or on welfare Begin to Read (2014)

U.S. ADULT LITERACY STATISTICS  93 million American adults have basic or below-basic literacy  30 million American adults are functionally illiterate (reading below a 5 th grade level)  63 million American adults read at the 5 th -8 th grade level (but cannot understand the basic newspaper) Literacy Partners (2006)

WORLDWIDE LITERACY STATISTICS  67 million children have no access to education (Rotary, 2013)  775 million (12%) of the adult population are considered functionally illiterate (Literacy Partners, 2006)

ROTARY’S GOAL  Supports activities and training to improve education for all children and literacy for children and adults.  Area of Focus: TRF enables Rotarians to ensure that all people have sustainable access to basic education and literacy by:  Involving the community to support programs that strengthen the capacity of communities to provide basic education and literacy to all  Increasing adult literacy in communities  Working to reduce gender disparity in education  Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to basic education and literacy Rotary (2013)

EXAMPLES OF DISTRICT LITERACY PROJECTS  The Dictionary Project  Distribution of dictionaries to local school children (Kansas City Rotary Groups)  Honduras Education Grant  Provides training and resources to help Honduras teachers improve education in their classrooms and schools (Independence Rotary Club)  Pages and Chapters – Family Literacy Workshop  Assists families as they complete literacy assessments to help them learn to read, and supply families that attend with a book at every session (Kansas City Rotary Group)  Book Donations to Local Public School Libraries  Collection and Donation of School Supplies

LARGER WIDE-SCALE LITERACY PROJECT IDEAS  Literacy/ESL Tutors  Provides a full range of literacy services to adults, children, immigrants and local literacy programs (Minnesota Rotary)  Imagination Library  Provides children with high-quality, age-appropriate children’s books in the mail every month from birth until age 5 (Foothills United Way)  Newspapers in Education  Provide newspapers in the classrooms  Mini Library Project or Bookmobiles Project  project promotes literacy and better learning skills among the poor by establishing mini-libraries (reading books and groups) in small rural and urban schools and childcare centers.

HOW TO GET STARTED  Build a committee  Look for experts in your club, those with an association to literacy, those with a keen interest  Start Small  Think about the projects that your club already does  How can you incorporate a literacy component?

DEVELOP AN ANNUAL PROJECT  Donate books to local and school libraries, medical offices, government assisted programs (WIC office, planned parenthood).  Sponsor a spelling bee  Hold an essay writing contest for youth  Read to children in local schools or the library  Read to the elderly in nursing homes, assisted living facilities

WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAS?  Questions and Discussion 

REFERENCES  Begin to Read. (2014).  Institute of Education Sciences (IES), National Center for Education Statistics. (2007). Fast facts: Adult literacy.  Literacy Partners. (2006). Literacy facts. in-america/literacy-facts  Rotary. (2013).