The Need
"There is no literacy problem in Newport Beach!" This is a common response from the community. In fact, there is a great need for Newport Beach Public Library Literacy Services.
The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy states that there are 93 million adults in the United States that demonstrate, at best, only basic literacy skills. This is almost 1/2 of the adult population of the U.S.
Approximately 10.5 million of these adults are in California; 350,000 of them reside in Orange County and over 7,000 are our friends and neighbors in Newport Beach. Many of these adults are immigrants that are hoping to become an active part of our community. Some are people who have slipped through the cracks of our system and are tired of just "getting by." Whatever the reasons, they are 7,000 people that need help.
The effects of adults who struggle with literacy impact each and every one of us. Did you know that adults with low literacy skills ....
Are less likely to vote and integrate into our system
Are suffering from more health problems and lose more time from work
Are not able to advocate for themselves or their children
Are more likely to spend time in jail or prison
Are more than twice as likely to receive public assistance
Are not able to help their children succeed in school, thus perpetuating the problem of illiteracy
contact literacy services: (949) 717-3874Blogathon 2007
Literacy skills show decline with age:Reading for pleasure helps fight dropEdmonton Journal: July 7, 2007 by Shannon Proudfoot,CanWest News ServiceMost Canadians, but especially those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, experience "significant" literacy loss as adults, a Statistics Canada report shows.The decline in skills begins at age 25, peaks around 40 and then tapers off around 55 years old. For example, adults aged 40 scored an average of 288 on a standardized literacy test in 1994, but in a second survey nine years later, that had dropped to 275 -- a loss of reading ability equal to half a year of schooling.Over their lifetime, the average Canadian will lose about one grade's worth of literacy skills, the report estimates."Literacy is not a static commodity that is acquired in youth and maintained throughout life," it concludes.More education mitigates the decline, with university graduates scoring about 30 points higher than high school grads. People who didn't complete secondary school scored nearly 50 points lower than those who did, while employed Canadians scored 12 points higher than those not in the labour force.The reading people do at work helps, but not nearly as much as reading a variety of materials for pleasure at home.The data came from a series of international literacy surveys conducted in 1994 and 2003, with StatsCan gathering the Canadian component. This report focused on native-born Canadians, though other surveys show immigrants have significantly more literacy difficulties. More
For Overview & Highlights:
ABC CanadaALL Literacy SurveyBlogathon 2007
SCLLN is finally on the Google Literacy Project map. We are the ‘red marker’ just below the ' A ' in CA.The Literacy Project, launched in 2006 at the Frankfurt Book Fair, is a resource for teachers, literacy organizations and anyone interested in reading and education.It was created in collaboration with LitCam, Google, and UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning.
Remember to use GoodSearch !Use GoodSearch and every time you click, SCLLN gets a donation.Click on the Icon just below the ClusterMaps.Blogathon 2007
READ/Orange County provides:
• Tutoring in reading and writing
• Tutor training
• On-going tutor support
• Mutually convenient times and locations
• Small group or one-to-one setting
• Confidential, individualized, goal-oriented lessons
• Families for Literacy
• Working for Inmate Literacy Now (WIN)
• English Literacy Civics Education
• Referral information
Check their Calendar for upcoming Workshops.Blogathon 2007
